Tuesday, June 17, 2008

South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal Youngsters to Debate in Youth Parliament

Youth in KwaZulu-Natal are to debate the serious concerns affecting their communities and schools and come up with solutions during this year's Youth Parliament.

The Youth Parliament will be sitting on 17 and 18 June at the Hluhluwe Primary School in Umkhanyakude District.


Each year the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, in partnership with the Umkhanyakude District Municipality, hosts the Youth Parliament where the province's MECs give report-backs on their department's projects which aimed at empowering and developing the youth.

Premier Sibusiso Ndebele is expected to give a report as well.

The officials then listen to the youth's concerns and explain what programmes are in place to deal with them.

KwaZulu-Natal Speaker Willies Mchunu introduced the concept of a sectoral Parliament to put issues that affect key sectors of society on the main agenda of legislature's programme.

This gave birth to the Worker's Parliament, Youth Parliament and Women's Parliament.

Mr Mchunu said the Youth Parliament has become a success story in the years since its inception.

"Youngsters wanted to give the youth from Umkhanyakude the opportunity to experience the sitting of the parliament and allow them to discuss the issues that concern them," said Mr Mchunu.

The sitting of the provincial Youth Parliament in Umkhanyakude District forms part of the Youth Month celebrations.

"I therefore urge all youth people of Umkhanyakude District to embrace their democracy and attend the Youth Parliament in their numbers."

"All logistics including transport have been arranged throughout the Umkhanyakude District," said Mr Mchunu, wadding that as the Youth Parliament was a KwaZulu-Natal Legislature event no party regalia was allowed to be worn.

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