The National Youth Commission arranged programmes for children and youth activities respectively and they have declared the June month as the National Youth Month.

The first week is committed to Children activities and the rest of the month to the youth of the country according to different ages.

2 National Children's Day

Dates: 01- 04/06/2005

Theme: "Campaign against Child Labour"

Participants: The Ministry, Children and the Community Based Organisations

Child Labour versus Child Chores

The programme will focus on a campaign against: Child Labour especially on the farms. This programme will be launched in Upington in the Northern Cape Province. There will be visits to the farms and school representatives will be speaking to children about what child labour entails

There seems to be no understanding or differentiation between child chores and child labour or rather put differently abusers in these farm or some people in these schools interpret labour to be a chore. They take labour as a form of rewarding a child for whatever privilege given to the parent e.g. giving shelter to parents including use of amenities and water They use the so called reward (child chore) to hide child labour, Children do not have the chance like any other children to play and enjoy all their rights of growing up to the fullest. This is identified as child labour.

Visits by the Minister of Land Affairs and Agriculture

The Hon Mr M Mdladlana will be attending the International Labour Organisation (ILO) meeting therefore he is unable to be present in these activities and the Hon Mrs Thoko Didiza has been identified as the second in line to attend to these matters. She will conduct the above-mentioned visits and a press conference has been arranged for her to give input or children's experiences in the farms and farm schools respectively.

3. National Youth Day

Date : 10 17/06/2005

Theme: "Create Youth Employment and Fight Poverty"

Participants: Private Business, Government, Small Business and Community Based Organisations

The NYC as per the oncoming celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Freedom Charter arranged the programme for the celebration of the Youth Month focusing on youth participation in the economy of the country. On the above mentioned dates the NYC will hold a Youth Economic Participation Fair in the Northern Cape legislature in Kimberly bringing together private business, government departments and community based initiatives that showcase projects that create youth employment.

Youth employment has been happening in a small scale and these activities are aimed at improving youth access to the economy. The small and big business will be requested to participate in the hosting of solidarity campaign for the unemployed youth. The focus will be to request the young executives to adopt young persons to equip them with the necessary skills that will help them acquire suitable jobs. The NYC also aims to do mentorship programmes to teach the youth on how to write a good curriculum vitae to enable them to present themselves in a manner that will help the to secure good jobs and to equip them with skills to be self employed. There will be activities happening across the country. There is a programme in place on youth activities for the Western Cape and the event is arranged to take place in Caledion.

3.1 Conference to identify best employers of young people

The NYC will be bringing together 500 delegates from across the country to Kimberly and score sheets will be distributed to select the best businesses which are best youth employers. There will be a conference on the underground auditorium-taking place simultaneously with the Fair on the 14-15/06 to determine and announce the scores

3.2 Parliament

The following sections will participate in preparation for the activities prior the debates on 1/06 and 14/06 respectively.

(i) Public Relations / Affairs - to populate the gallery and invite people across class lines

(ii) Public Education - to arrange activities e.g. drumming i.e. marimba or cultural activities among other activities as determined by the Committee and

(iii) Media Relations - to arrange for radio interviews with the Chairperson and or co - Chair, to invite press release, media - outside papers including papers that are read by the poorest of the poor to popularise the event.