INSTEAD of being spectators, young people must be at the forefront of addressing government’s triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment.
This was the message of KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, at the launch of the KZN Progressive Youth in Business in Durban last week.
He urged young people who are already in business to strive to make a difference in people’s lives.
‘I appeal to you who are in business to be manufacturers, industrialists and go into agri-business to help alleviate poverty in our province. We will assist young people to grow and be better in business.
The Progressive Youth in Business (PYB) is a forum geared towards championing youth entrepreneurship through targeted programmes that would collectively address the unemployment challenges among the youth by providing them with opportunities to develop their leadership skills.
This will also be done by providing training in marketable skills and access to resources and networks to realise their potential as ‘social and economic entrepreneurs’.
The launch saw the election of an eSikhaleni young man as the Chairperson of the PYB, Buhle Mkhwanazi.
In his acceptance speech, Mkhwanazi committed himself to ensuring that every district in KZN has NYDA offices, not just in Durban.
‘ We will be calling for a review of lease contracts that runs for 20 years and more, which is ridiculous in our view.
‘We also feel that government departments and municipalities are killing SMME’s by not paying them within 30 days of invoicing.
‘As the PYB we are tasked to leverage maximum synergies towards the economic liberation of the youth of KZN and South Africa,’ Mkhwanazi said.
Born in Nseleni and growing up in eSikhaleni, he later moved to Richards Bay where he started his company Goodness and Mercy Transport CC in 2005.
In 2012 he became the Chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Youth Chamber of Commerce in the North Coast Region.
