Parliament: Youth Roundtable Discussion on entrepreneurship to fight poverty

Mbasa Gqokoma

29 July 2015

Parliament today hosted a Youth Roundtable Discussion with emphasise on creating a culture of entrepreneurship amongst the youth, in order to eradicate poverty and unemployment.

Bernice Hlagala from the Presidency said the National Youth Policy which was adopted in May this year aims to empower young people and build a culture of patriotism.

Hlagala said there is a need to improve the quality of further education and training by expanding young people who are actually part of those.

She added that more funding for academically deserving students particularly those from poor families is important. We need to recruit graduates into the public service.

“It is important that young graduates also see public service as an employer of choice” she added

Commitment from SSOE’s to train artisans as well as access to information through IT developments. We need to attract young people into those areas, she emphasised

Meanwhile with 7.3% of young people living with HIV Hlagala stressed the importance of a proper healthcare system. She said government is working at reducing the availability of drugs and alcohol to the youth.

Hlagala said on health care and healthy lifestyles we need to make sure that there is increased access to information and knowledge around sexuality issues.

It is important that we need to promote healthy lifestyles particularly looking at sexuality issues.

Hlangala added that we need to facilitate responsive information, education, counselling to adolescence and we need to also make sure that there is overall transformation on the health care system, including the introduction of the National Health Insurance.

“Additionally there is a need to reduce availability of drugs and alcohol more especially in schools” she concluded.