By Nangamso Mabindla
27 November 2007

HIV and AIDS, poverty and unemployment are just some of the challenges facing the youth in Buffalo City and the rest of Eastern Cape province, says Eastern Cape Youth Commission chairperson Mlimandlela Ndamase.

Ndamase was speaking to young people at the Youth Summit held by the City's special programmes unit in Mdantsane last week. The municipality invited key stakeholders to take part, including higher education institutions like the University of Fort Hare, Walter Sisulu University, the Buffalo City Further Education and Training College

Institutions like the Umsobomvu Youth Fund talked business opportunities open to the young. "The summit came up with a new programme of action for the City that will meet the needs of the youth in Buffalo City," Ndamase said.

By hosting the summit, the municipality showed that it was serious, innovative and committed to youth issues. "Executive Mayor Zintle Peter showed this commitment by setting aside R3-million to respond to challenges facing the youth in the municipal area."

He called on young people to empower themselves by taking education opportunities open to them. Education was important in the fight against the high unemployment rate.

"There are many higher education institutions in the city and I want to encourage the youth to apply for bursaries offered by these institutions. Initiatives like the Umsobomvu Youth Fund need to follow their mandates and help youth interested in becoming entrepreneurs," Ndamase added.

Youngsters also needed to grab the upcoming 2010 Fifa World Cup™ with both hands. The World Cup is being played in South Africa and Buffalo City is hoping to be a training venue and a destination for football visitors.

"The youth need to participate to ensure that the tournament is a success. But we don't want the youth to only be used as volunteers; young people need to take part in the construction, hospitality, and transport sectors, and other areas," he said, adding that they needed to develop skills that would be used beyond 2010.