SACP Statement for National Youth Day\ The Future for Young People is Socialism

15 June 2000

The South African Communist Party salutes South African youth for their historic and continuing role and contribution to defeat apartheid and in current struggles for the reconstruction and fundamental transformation of South Africa.

The SACP notes the following as serious challenges facing young people in South Africa today: -

• The challenge of HIV/AIDS – young people are amongst most affected groups with limited access to information, prevention, testing facilities and affordable treatment
• The problem of unemployment – as many as 300 000 young people leaving schools a year are not employed because of the unemployment crisis and investment strike by the bosses
• Lack of access to quality and affordable public education – this remains a serious challenge particularly with higher education becoming more inaccessible to working class youth
• Linked to the above is the need to expand opportunities of young people to recreation, life skills education and skills development

So long as we have a capitalist market economy we will not be able to address all of these challenges in any fundamental way. Therefore, a better future for young people is a socialist South Africa, which we must struggle for now.

We therefore call on all our youth to take part in current struggles against job losses, HIV/AIDS and affordable public education. We call on SA youth to challenge neo-liberalism, particularly in the provision of higher education. This requires political i nvolvement of young people in organisations addressing their issues and interests.

CONTACT Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara) Department of Media, Information & Publicity South African Communist Party Tel: 27 11 339-3621/2 Fax: 27 11 339-4244 Cell: 083 651 0271 Email: sacp1@wn.apc.org