Cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday thanked all South Africans for joining in the country’s National Youth Day commemorations on 16 June.

The celebration was held under the theme, “Promoting sustainable livelihood and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow”.

This year will mark 46 years since the 1976 Student uprising.

“The spirit of enthusiasm and resilience shown by the youth across our nation is indeed a cause for celebration and hope for a better tomorrow,” said Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, during a post Cabinet briefing on Thursday.

“As National Youth Month draws to an end, let us intensify our efforts to ensure young people access the many support programmes provided by government and facilitate their active participation in the economy,” he said.

The Public Service, as the largest employer, has responded to this challenge by enabling unemployed graduates to gain experience through the Public Service Graduate Internship and Learnership Programme.

The Minister said government is also implementing the Social Employment Fund (SEF) and revitalised National Youth Service (NYS) job-creation initiatives that will each draw 50 000 young people into the economy.

These initiatives will not only provide much-needed work experience but will also reinforce the value of active citizenship.

The SEF partners with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) while the NYS enlists young people for services which benefit communities across the country.

Source: South African Government News Agency