Youth tackle housing again
2006-06-15
SEIZE this opportunity that democracy has brought, said Thembani Zwane, one of 150 youths that will be trained to help with the construction of houses in Project 2 in Mbekweni.
The project, identified as a pilot project of the National Youth Commission, got the go ahead at a launch by the Western Cape Minister of Local Government and Housing, Richard Dyantyi, in Paarl on Monday.
“How far we have come in thirty years,” he said with reference to the 30th celebration of the student uprisings of 1976, “but there is still so much to be done.”
He expressed the wish that the young trainees will lead to the completion of Project 2 in Mbekweni, making it part of history.
“We talked about this project before 1994. These young people are now our last hope to close this.”
The project for 791 houses, stalled for eight years, was identified last year already as a pilot project of the Provincial Department of Housing which developed a strategy in partnership with the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, the Eco City Trust and the construction Seta.
The programme is based on government’s People’s Housing Programme (PHP), where youths are trained in construction by Umsobomvu through Eco City and supported by the Seta.
The contract between the Western Cape Housing Development Board and Drakenstein Municipality for the Youth Leadership Programme was signed in August last year, but was delayed due to bureaucratic red tape.
Earlier this year, as the Municipality was on the verge of handing over the first eight houses completed, a group of these youths went on the rampage because they had not been paid and had not received the protective clothing they had been promised.
On investigation, a story of miscommunication and inefficiency unfolded, resulting in the houses and a storage container for the project being vandalised and torched by the angry youths.
The 50 learners took matters into their own hands and locked the staff working at the materials container inside the premises.
With the second launch of the youth project on Monday this week, the youth were clothed in their brand new safety clothing.
They were in excellent spirits and full of hope that this would not be another false start to the project.
“I hope this project will inspire hope under other young people,” said Malose Kekana, CEO of Umsobomvu.
He said the young people come from communities where poverty and high unemployment are rife, and he hoped that this would instill in them the spirit of service.
“I assume you will move on from here, but I hope you will come back on a regular basis to build a home for a needy family.”
Lwazi Mboyi, CEO of the National Youth Commission, said today’s youth must stand up and challenge their problems, just as the 1976 generation did.
“Today’s generation is not lost or marginilised. They know and are concerned about the challenges facing them. They want to stand up and do something.”
Mboyi said the Youth Commission’s programme had multiple dimensions: “We want to break the back of poverty among young people.”
Minister Dyantyi gave the assurance that his Department was committed to assist young people with projects and getting contracts.
* The learners that destroyed the houses received free bail until their next appearance on 27 July.
More
News
|
