CDM Municipality
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“Capricorn District Municipality welcomes the resolutions taken at the District Youth Dialogue today and commits to take them forward for Council to give them further consideration in the next planning cycle of youth development programmes.”
This was the wayforward given by Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Strategic Executive Management Services Cllr Solly Mahlatji who addressed the Dialogue and gave a closing commitment on behalf of Executive Mayor Cllr Mamedupi Teffo.
Mahlatji said the Municipality acknowledges that the majority of the district population is youth, “and it’s important that our programmes are deliberately aimed at supporting this segment of the population”, he said, adding that the Municipality also acknowledges challenges that hold young people back, such as unemployment, lack of access to funding, gender-based violence and decline of youth participation in the governance processes – which the Dialogue and debates were couched on.
MMC Mahlatji assured the gathering that the Municipality noted all recommendations and committed to take them forward. He further encouraged the youth to use Thusong Service Centres to get services that can assist them in applying for jobs. Participants in the dialogue were young people from youth structures across the district, according to their political parties’ representation in CDM Council namely African National Congress, Economic Freedom Fighters, Democratic Alliance, and Abantu Batho Congress.
In addition to political parties that were represented, the Dialogue was also attended by the National Youth Development Agency, Love Life, South African Police Service, Father-a-Nation, National Arts Council, and Deaf Federation of South Africa. This was part of the Youth Month (June) celebration programmes. The dialogue provided young people an opportunity to engage in dialogue discussing various and current challenges facing the youth within the district. It was also a platform for politicians to outline key programs and budget towards assisting in youth empowerment programmes.
The topics discussed were focusing on:
- Economic Transformation:
Lack of financial support to small businesses affected by impact of Covid-19. What should the district and local municipalities do to assist small
businesses?
Unemployment remains high due to lack of relevant skills and work experience as requirement for employment. What should the district and local
municipalities do to address this challenge?
- Social transformation:
Incidents of gender based violence, femicide, and substance abuse remain high despite legislation put in place and campaigns. What role should the youth
play in combating this pandemic?
- Municipal Transformation:
There is a decline in youth participation in Municipal Governance processes such as IDP/Budget and Imbizo programme. What should municipalities
do to address this problem?
The Youth Dialogue took place on 07 June 2022 at Inveraan Multi-Purpose Centre, Ga-Malebogo in the Blouberg Local Municipality.
