The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the extension of the public participation period on the National Youth Policy (NYP) 2020-2030 by the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana Mashabane.
In light of the coronavirus outbreak, the submissions can only be made electronically directly to the department.
The Minister’s decision comes after the DA wrote a letter requesting an extension of the process as well as several requests from civil society groups that are also concerned by the lack of engagement of young South Africans.
The DA through extensive consultation with civil society, young people and other relevant groups impacted by this policy made it clear that it is critical that the date for submissions for comments on the draft NYP 2020 – 2030 be extended to allow youth organizations, NGO’s, NPO’s and the broader society more time to engage with the review thoroughly and have their voices heard.
The Minister has extended public comment to 28 April 2020 after it became apparent that the Department failed to:
- Embark on an awareness process to inform young people about the NYP;
- The draft policy is an exact copy and paste of the 2015-2020 policy which strongly indicates that consultations haven’t yielded any substantial input into this new draft;
- The draft policy as it stands does not respond to a wide range of issues, for example, GBV or mental health; and
- There has not been a clear review of the current NYP 2015 – 2020.
The extension of the date will allow many youth organizations and the broader society more time to engage and review the proposed NYP 2020 -2030 and have their voices heard.
The DA has and continues to be relentless in its fight for the youth and will continue to put forward alternative proposals to alleviate joblessness and poverty.