The contribution of the Western Cape must never be underscored because there are those today who divide our people into African, Coloured and White, and do so by trying to portray the events of 30 years agao as "a Soweto Uprising". They imply that it was a "black African" uprising. History and our own memory tell us that Africans and Coloureds fought apartheid side by side and they were joined by white young people in Nusas and the End Conscription Campaign. History and our own memory tell us that the first victim to be killed in 1976 in this Province was Xolile Moise from Langa, and that a week later the second victim to be killed was Christopher Truter from Bonteheuwel.
This was a history of bravery and unity that was to be repeated in every episode of the battle against apartheid. When I delivered the State of the Province Address in February 2006, the Provincial Government reflected on the events 30 years ago and the sacrifices of the youth that we commemorate this year. We asked the question: how can we remember the youth today, so that we realize the principles, values and vision for which the youth sacrificed 30 years ago? What do we do beyond the memorial service, the rally, the reflection?
We realized that the youth of the '70's, the '80's and the early 1990's were not the lost generations because they knew they were firmly on their way to freedom and democracy. The lost youth may well be those young people who, in freedom and democracy, find themselves locked in poverty and unemployment, young people without skills and education, young people who in desperation and hopelessness succumb to the temptations of gangsterism, crime, drugs and sexually transmitted diseases.
It was in this context that the Provincial Government of the Western Cape decided that the best tribute to pay to Hector Petersen, Xolile Moise, Christopher Truter, and every other young person who died, so that we might be free, is to say Siyabulela, Ons Dank Julle. We Thank You in the most concrete and practical way possible.
Every member of this government was tasked to respond to some of the most pressing problems confronting the youth by getting their Departments to deliver in the spirit of Siyabulela.
My speech that day said:" ?. Minister Fransman will recruit, train and employ 1000 unemployed youth for trade and entrepreneurial learnerships, and will ringfence projects and contracts for the most successful amongst them".
Today I can see : Marius Fransman has delivered. I can see hundreds of you gathered here for 800 trade specific learnerships, as part of the Western Cape's contribution to the Expanded Public Works Programme. It is worth informing the new Minister of Public Works, Minister Thoko Didiza, that this Province has in the last few years created 40 000 EPWP jobs, and through initiatives like this we intend not only to increase the number, but improve the quality of skills as well.
This task is urgent because the unemployment crisis is acute amongst the unskilled and semi-skilled young unemployed. Our most optimistic projections show that the unemployment statistic for this category will not fall significantly under 30% in the medium term.
Can the youth in the unskilled and semi-skilled category, therefore, be consigned to fend for themselves in a context of poverty, crime, drugs and disease? Obviously not. Our Siyabulela Deliverable today is a desperate, yet calculated attempt, to give a future to such youth in sectors of our economy in the Province that shows growth potential.
The Western Cape for the last 2 years has grown in GDP by 5.3%. This is phenomenal. One of the key drivers of this growth has been the growth in construction. Two years ago construction was growing by about 5%. Last year it grew by 8.3%. This change means that year on year in construction the industry grew from employing 127 000 workers to employing 154 000 workers. This is an additional 27 000 people now employed and able to buy a house, put food on the table and enjoy the prosperity of the Province and the country.
The downside to this story however, is that the average age of artisans is 58 years. The people with skills in construction are getting old, and the young are not seeing construction as a career. It is to this challenge that we are beginning to respond today.
Today 800 of our 1000 learners are going to learn trade specific skills in carpentry, masonry, plumbing, professional driving, and other skills within the growing sectors of the provincial economy such as construction. It is for this reason that I have been uncompromising with the Mayor of Cape Town: Don't interfere negatively in the Green Point Stadium for World Cup 2010. We need to construct that stadium, the 6 new hotels that will be built for 2010, the transport infrastructure, etc. We want construction by 2010 to grow by over 10% in the Western Cape.
As you sit here today you carry the hope of the 30 000 other young people who applied for these learnerships. You cannot fail. If you succeed, and if government succeeds in its plan to push up the growth rate to over 6.1% in terms of Asgisa, then you open the door for all the other young people who are not only unemployed, but unemployable because they do not have skills. If you succeed you will say to Xolile Moise and Christoper Truter that they have not died in vain. If you succeed then you say to young people: Have faith, avoid drugs and crime because we are working with the government to create a better life.
All of you here represent the Western Cape. This is the Home for All we dream about. As you sit here you are from all race groups, you speak our 3 languages, you come from urban and rural areas, you are young men and young women, you worship in different ways. But you are all united in one vision. A Western Cape that is a Home for All. A Western Cape that is iKapa elihlumayo - a Cape that we grow and a Cape that we share.
