To all news editors

1. TO ALL NEWS EDITORS/MEDIA
PRESIDENTCYRIL RAMAPHOSA’S2020 YOUTH DAY MESSAGE
16 JUNE 2020
I wouldlike togreetall the youngmenand womenof SouthAfricaonthisday, whenwe celebrate the
brave youthof 1976, youngpeople of ourcountry whodefiedapartheidandfoughtforourfreedom.
It is an opportunitytofocusonmattersthat confront the youngpeople of today,toreflectonthe
progressthat we have made inempoweringyoungpeopleandtodetermine the tasksthatlie ahead.
The coronaviruspandemichashadmajorhealth,economicandsocial effectsonthe livesof young
people andold people.
It has made worse alreadysloweconomicgrowthinourcountry.It has made businessessuffer,ledto
joblossesandaffectededucationandstudy.
Our capacity as a countryto withstandthe shockscausedbyCOVID-19 hasbeenlargelydetermined by
our social circumstancesandithas broughtto the fore the deepinequalitiesthatpersistinourcountry
until today.
We can no longerforexample have asituationwhere youngpeople inrural areasdonot have access to
technologytoenable themtoworkandto study.
This pandemicprovidesuswithanopportunitytoinjectnew perspectivesintohow we canturnour
economyaround,butalsohowwe can reallyimagine ourverysociety.
Young people mustrise tothe challenge of leadingourrecoveryafterthe Coronavirus.We have young
entrepreneursandbusinessownerswhothroughtheirinnovative ideashave beenable tochange their
communitiesforthe betterandcreate new employmentopportunities.
We have outstandingyoungpeople,inthe sciencesand research,insports,inentertainmentandother
fieldswhohave representedourcountryonglobal platformsandstages.
The voicesof youngpeople inmovementssuchasFeesMust Fall andprotestsagainstgender-based
violence have beencatalystsforchange.
The remarkable potential inouryoungpeople acrossall sectorsandspacesisundeniable andyoung
people fromtime immemorial have alwaysbeendrivenbychangingthe world,bychangingthe way
thingsare done,by changingthe waywe live,bychangingunjustsystems,bybringingaboutjustice and
bringingabouta newworld.

2. The momentthat we nowconfrontpostCOVID-19 callsyoungpeople acrossthe lengthandthe breadth
of ourcountry to be part of that change and tobe change agents.
It alsocallson youngpeople torebuildoureconomyandmake a difference inthe livesof our
communities.
It alsocallson youngpeople tobe the youngpeople whoare goingtounderpineverythingtheydowith
the bestof values,whoare goingtobe rootedinprinciple increatingaSouthAfricathat we can all be
proudof.
I once againaffirmourcommitmentasgovernmenttosupportingyoungpeople ineverystage of life.
Through our social partnershipsandyouth-focusedprogrammes,we are committedtounlocking the
full potential of the youngpeople of ourcountry.
Andas a governmentourcommitmentisirrevocable.We willcontinuetosupportouryoungpeople
fromcradle right throughto youngadulthood.We are providingeducationandtrainingopportunitiesso
that the youthget the skillsthatare neededbyoureconomy.
Through the National StudentFinancial AidScheme,we are workingtoensure thatpovertyisnolonger
a barrierto accessingeducation.
Your social statusshouldno longerbe a barrierto beingeducatedandbecomingskilledbecause we
recognise thata countrythat investsinitsyouthisclearlyonthe road to prosperityandthat iswhere we
wantto be.
Throughthe PresidentialYouthEmploymentInterventionwe have tocreate new pathwaysinto
employmentforouryouth,ensure thattheygainthe right skillsandare able tostart theirown
businessesandgetintogoodjobsas well.
Throughthe National YouthService youngpeople are able tocontribute totheircommunitiesandthis
buildsanethosof positive andengagedcitizenshipwhere youngpeoplebecome activistsforgood,
activistsforchangingthe livesof ourpeople.

3. Whetheritisthrough the workof the National YouthDevelopmentAgency,throughthe Expanded
PublicWorksProgramme andthe CommunityWorksProgramme orthrough the Small Enterprise
Finance Agency,we are broadeningthe frontiersof opportunityforouryoungpeople everyday.
On thisday that we paytribute to the courage,the resilienceandoptimismof the youthof 1976, we
alsosalute today'sgenerationwhoare determined,whoare focused,whoare resolute,butwhoalso
have great hopesabouttheirownfuture andthe future of our country.
Though the challengeswe face are immenseouryoungpeoplehave proventime andtime againthat
theirimmense optimismanddesire tomake achange isverystrong.
So I want to wishall ouryoungpeople ahappyYouth Day andcall onyou the youngpeople of our
countryonce againto joinusin the immense taskof rebuildingSouthAfricaandtomakingthiscountrya
place of peace,of equalityandprosperityforall.
A countrythat you as the youngpeople of ourcountrywill engage inbuilding,becauseasthe people of
our countryyou are the change agentsthat thiscountryhas beenwaitingfor.
You must become the change thatyou wantto be,youmust become the vehiclesof transformation,
the vehiclesof innovation,the vehiclesof creatingthisgreatcountryof ours,SouthAfrica.
So I thankyou onthisday and wishyouthe verybest.May you grow in strengthanddeterminationas
youbuildourcountry goingforward.
Thank youverymuch.

4. ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCYOF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA