Legislative Framework

This research will be guided by two elements including; the policy context of youth development in South Africa and legislation which underpins M & E practice in the South African public sector.

2.2.1 Youth Development Legislation Underpinning the Establishment of the National Youth Development Agency

Youth development has continuously been a point of focus in South Africa‟s socio-economic development as a result of the high levels of youth unemployment. According to the World Bank, youth unemployment refers to Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labour force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment (World Bank, 2015).The South African definition of the youth group includes young people who fall within the age of 14 and 35 years (South Africa. National Youth Policy, 2009:12). In addition, this definition is based on the mandate of the South Africa‟s National Youth Commission Act 1996 and the National Youth Policy 2000. To this end, the upper age limit of youth in South Africa remains 35 years as a result of the current and historical imbalances, which have not yet been fully addressed (South Africa. National youth Policy, 2009:12).

35 2.2.2 National Development Plan 2030

The NDP 2030 calls on South Africa to find ways to urgently reduce alarming levels of youth unemployment and to provide young people with broader opportunities (13). Thus, the NDP calls for the use of the “youth lens” when developing and implementing development interventions focus on youth.

2.2.3 National Youth Development Act (2008)

The Act makes provisions for the establishment of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), a public entity which is the custodian of youth development in South Africa. The Act also provides for the functions and objectives; management and governance; regulation of staff and financial affairs; and administration of funds in the NYDA.

2.2.4 National Youth Policy 2009-2014

The National Youth Policy from 2009-2014 is aimed at closing identified gaps in youth development by addressing challenges and recommending new measures to improve and accelerate the implementation of youth development policy under the following four pillars:

education, health and wellbeing, economic participation and social cohesion.

2.2.5 Integrated Youth Development Strategy 2011

The Integrated Youth Development Strategy of 2011 (IYDS, 2011) was developed to

“facilitate, coordinate, lobby and monitor the implementation of youth development programmes and policies, as well as initiate and implement strategic projects”. It has a vision which seeks to create a seamless, integrated and mainstreamed youth development across the public, private and civil society sectors of South Africa.

The IYDS strategy identified challenges and opportunities for youth as identified by a cross-section of stakeholders, including professional bodies, government departments, civil society, NGOs and youth formations. This also involved drawing information from various domestic and international instruments, public and research reports, the objective of which was the development of an integrated strategy that responds to the economic structure as discussed in key national policy frameworks, including, among others: National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF), Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), National Growth Path (NGP), National Skills Development-South Africa (NSD-SA), National Youth Policy (NYP), and the

36 National Skills Development Strategy III (NDS III).All these policies and guidelines are aimed at increasing access to high quality and relevant education and training and skills development opportunities, including workplace learning and experience, to enable effective participation in the economy and society.

2.2.6 Employment Tax Incentive Act, 2013 (“Youth Wage Subsidy”)

The objective of Employment Tax Incentive Act of 2013 is to encourage the creation of youth employment and growth. This act provides a way of sharing the cost of expanding job opportunities with the private sector instead of making it solely the work of the public sector.

2.2.7 Youth Employment Accord

Seeks to improve education and skilling of young people, helping them to find jobs or start their own businesses. As part of the accord, government commits itself to increasing the number of people employed in the public sector, while certain industries have set youth development targets. All parties (government, organised labour, organised business, and community and youth formations) agree to implement a coordinated Youth Employment Strategy (YES).

According to Mtwesi (2014), there are no shortages of structures, policies and plans for youth development. National youth policies signal all kinds of areas for intervention and priorities for development, but like most government policy platforms, serve largely as political symbols of what is worth achieving than concrete, funded planning mandates for how to get there. Non-delivery in youth development on the part of government departments and youth institutions, is a lost opportunity and represents a failure to successfully address youth unemployment and development. Mwetsi (2014) states that national youth policies and institutional structures form one aspect of an integrated youth development strategy; they ultimately provide a framework for a country to make available resources, support and services that will allow young people to fulfil their potential and contribute to the social, cultural, political, and economic growth of South Africa. Failure to successfully implement these polices has negative short and long-term consequences for the country. It has thus become imperative to monitor and evaluate these policies as well programmes which are guided by them in order to achieve and promote an environment in which youth can thrive and achieve their potential.

37 2.2.8 The National Youth Policy 2020

The National Youth Policy 2015–2020 (NYP 2020) is developed for all the youth in South Africa, with a special focus on redressing the injustices of the past and addressing their current specific challenges and immediate needs of the country. According to the NYP (2020), youth-targeted interventions are needed so as to enable the youth of South Africans to actively participate and engage in society and the economy.

The NYP 2020 builds on the first NYP of 2009–2014. It not only improves upon, but also updates the previous policy, by addressing the new challenges that the youth are facing, at the same time acknowledging that there is more to be done to address the challenges identified in the previous NYP. The NYP 2020 policy aims to create an environment that enables the youth of South Africa to reach their potential. The policies are mindful of the global economic challenges that affect South Africa, and they therefore identify mechanisms and interventions that can act as catalysts to help clear critical blockages, and achieve this positive environment. The policy outlines interventions to enable the best youth development, which can develop them both as individuals and as members of the South African society.

This can be through enhancing their capabilities so as to transform both the country and the economy. The integrated development strategy articulates in detail how the implementation of the interventions developed and was subsequently carried out in the months following government‟s adoption of the policy. According to the NYP 2020, in order for the goals of the policy to be realised, government needs to partner with most sections of society such as the private sector.