It’s been ten years since the country mapped out and adopted its ambitious development blue print, the National Development Plan: Vision 2030 (NDP).

To mark this occasion the National Planning Commission (NPC) is hosting a youth dialogue and public lecture under the theme: ‘How do we invoke and implement the NDP for a new socio-economic heritage for South Africa?’.

The event takes place in Alice, Eastern Cape at the University of Fort Hare, hosted in partnership with the University and the Department of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation.

The NDP Review found that progress in attaining the lofty and noble goals of the NDP has been slow. With eight years to go until 2030, the NPC is urging society to mobilise around the urgent implementation of the NDP in order to tackle the persistent challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty.

The youth dialogue takes place on Thursday, 22 September and will involve students and young people from surrounding communities. The public lecture, to be held on Friday 23 September, will be delivered by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko, South Africa’s Ambassador at Large for Peace and Security, Human Rights and Development.

The NPC is a diverse and independent advisory body – comprising carefully chosen experts in various fields and sectors – appointed by the President. The Commission is appointed for a five-year period and is chaired by the Minister in the Presidency. The basic role of the NPC is to provide advice to the President and to Cabinet on matters pertaining to the implementation of the NDP.

Source: Government of South Africa