By Njabulo Togane, PACSA

I attended a two-day Youth consultation workshop which was coordinated by UN South Africa to discuss the challenges, gaps and recommendations towards the National Development Plan’s (NDP) 7 pillars from a youth perspective.

Robust and constructive conversations took place to explore different channels that the youth of SA could use to work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda.

A recommendation was made to the UN by young people under a theme NOTHING FOR US, WITHOUT US. That means as young people, we want to participate in decision making platforms and have youth in strategic UN positions to drive the youth agenda.

House breaking has become fashionable. In some cases, it’s not about being unemployed or that one cannot create work for themselves, but it’s a case of being hooked up in drugs.

Someone in his 30’s was caught breaking in at house in the neighbourhood of Palm Springs in the Vaal. The community beat him up with the intent to kill him. They refused to even listen to the police till his mother came from work and rescued him from the mob.  The police then arrested him. The community says they have had enough with nyaope and other crimes taking place in the neighbourhood, in particular that the troublemakers get arrested and they get bail to then come back in to the same communities.

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Cape Town

A group of activists in Cape Town met to explore setting up a network around the Ubumbano Voice App. The group included – among others,  Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), Green Anglicans, Triangle Project and representatives from University of Cape Town. The group explored using the Ubumbano App  as a platform to support existing work of organisations, as well as deepen the awareness and active voices of community activists.

Soweto

Activists in the south western townships in Johannesburg have been meeting for 3 months and formed themselves into the South West Activists Network. This formation is the outcome of extending the Ubumbano Voice App to new communities. In their first activity network members engaged with young women in their communities to get their voice on critical issues that affect young women living in the township. They will be publishing these stories and  posting it on the Ubumbano Voice App and website, and hope that this will lead to greater involvement of young women in the Network.
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