Helping End Gang Violence on the Cape Flats

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“If young people in marginalized communities arise and act, they have the strength and dynamism to generate a huge transformation in society.”

South Africa is faced with the challenge of limited and poor participation of young people in the positive upliftment of their respective communities, particularly the marginalized communities. A salient feature of this poor participation is high persistent youth unemployment, which means that young people are not acquiring the leadership skills and experience they need to assist in driving their communities forward. It is also difficult for young South Africans in marginalized communities to secure opportunities to develop their own sustainable service projects in order to bring about positive change.

MPBSA offers this principle of action in response to the call made by local government and councilors appointed to coordinate youth projects in communities to provide bold, imaginative and effective strategies to create an opportunity for youth to roll out effective and sustainable service projects that would address the social issues such as youth unemployment, gangsterism, crime, drugs, teenage pregnancy and limited participation of young people in the economy.

Through this strategy instrument, we urge on Government’s intends to foster youth empowerment and economic participation by deliberately enhancing youth entrepreneurship (sustainable community service projects), accelerating the growth of youth-owned and managed enterprises capable of contributing to the positive upliftment of marginalized communities and increasing youth self-employment and innovation.