Democratic Alliance MP, Hlomela Bucwa maiden speech

24-year-old Democratic Alliance MP, Hlomela Bucwa, the youngest member of parliament delivered one of the most important speeches of our time.

 

Bucwa, a former president of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Student Representative Council (SRC) is now South Africa’s youngest Member of Parliament and she is a force to be reckoned with.

In her maiden speech she has made it clear what she is fighting for, and it something that every single young South African should be fighting for.

She calls this generation a beacon of hope… what she doesnt realize is that she is that exact beacon of hope for every single South Africa.

“Because it is this generation, my generation that will change the status quo.”

“It is my generation that will successfully eradicate the social-ills that still prevail because we refuse to be divided by race, gender and religion, but instead we will be unified because we understand we are all fellow human beings.”

“It is this generation that will become the beacon of hope to the young developing world because you as adults have failed to provide that for us.”

Watch the incredible speech below:

Read the full transcript below:

A few days ago I spoke to Shireen Africandor who, like myself, had been raised by a father who never had the opportunity to attend University. Our fathers, like many other fathers in the Eastern Cape, had committed to a life of hard work so that their daughters would have the opportunities they could not have.

Understanding of her father’s commitment to better her life, Shireen surpassed all expectations when she had been accepted into the University of the Free State. She was meant to be the first of her family privileged to have been accepted into an institution of higher learning.

Honourable members, today she sits at home, idle, with nothing more than a matric certificate and a university acceptance letter. Whilst classes have commenced, she cannot attend as there is no funding for her to do so.

Shireen Africandor is one of the many silenced, hopeless, rejected voices of the Lost Generation. She is part of the 53 043 unsuccessful applicants from universities and TVET colleges, while 3 760 applications are still being reviewed.

I am moved by WB Yeats’ call to action which cries to me, “But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”

These are the words echoed by my fellow young South Africans.

These are words of a generation whose dreams have been denied, whose hope has been diminished, whose trust has been broken, whose talents have been crippled.

These are the words of a lost generation.

A generation of born frees who are victim to two decades of compounding government greed and corruption. This is a lost generation whose government has turned its back on the building blocks, the futures, of my fellow young South Africans.

The students of Sharpeville, who stood tall and sacrificed their lives for the greater good of all South Africans, for democracy, education and opportunities they were willing to die for, would cringe to see this government which is so far removed from the servant leadership or the democratic values dreamed of by Tata Madiba and those brave, brave youth.
We find ourselves with a government that is scared of its own young people and systematically excludes them from acquiring an education and jobs.

We find ourselves with leaders who loot and steal from the poor, who has failed to eradicate the social ills in our communities, a government that is self-serving, suppressive and incapable of self-correction.

Essentially we find our self with a government that has failed to improve the lives of millions of young people in this country.

The Democratic Alliance believes that the youth should be provided with quality education, with the necessary support and structures that will ensure their access and success in institutions of learning.

However, we are faced with a stark reality, a reality of a collapsing basic education system that fails to teach our children the very basics, never mind how to be critical thinkers. We are taught to look for jobs and not to create them. We are taught to be employees and not employers.

This is the lost generation who have been failed by the ANC-led government.

In the Eastern Cape, which remains one of the poorest provinces in the country, my young brothers and sisters are still subjected to inhumane conditions, where they must wake up in the early hours of the morning and walk frighteningly long distances to school.

The conditions in which they study in are not conducive to a sustainable learning environment, while SADTU employees enrich themselves because of a corrupt and incompetent union.

The lives of young people have not been improved…this is our lost generation.

Three million South Africans under the age of 25, mainly black, that are not in education, employment or training and they have been left behind.

This is the lost generation of which we speak.

The Department of Higher Education and Training has set a target of 1 053 420 undergraduate students of which only 220 517 are expected to be new students. In 2016 less than a million students enrolled in public universities.

In our TVET colleges only 41% of the candidates that sat for the N2 examination passed. In the NCV only 10% of our public TVET colleges achieved pass rate of more than 60%.

Many of these students have not received their certificates and are now forced to sit at home after overcoming many obstacles that almost deferred their dreams, as they cannot apply for internships, apprentices or jobs without their certificates.

If we are to change this, it clear that there must be a change in governance, that we must be led by those who put the people first.

It is the DA’s mission to rescue this lost generation, to create a better future for all South Africans, not only those who are well connected. We will create a free and fair society with equal opportunities for all.

Because it is this generation – my generation – that will change the status quo.

It is my generation that will successfully eradicate the social-ills that still prevail because we refuse to be divided by race, gender and religion, but instead be unified as fellow human beings.

It is my generation that will be the beacon of hope to guide the lost generation to opportunity and success. The Democratic Alliance will rescue this lost generation and ultimately this country by creating diverse education, training and internship options:

The Democratic Alliance will rescue this lost generation and ultimately this country by creating diverse education, training and internship options:

we will introduce an expanded National Student Financial Aid Scheme through which the poorest students will be comprehensively supported and the missing middle will receive support proportional to their family income;
the DA will bring back teacher training colleges to ensure that we have the best skilled teachers and will hold principals accountable through regular testing;
the DA will offer a year of free technical training to all matriculants.
Honourable members, as we continue with our daily business let us be reminded of Shireen Africandor, who needs us to ensure that she is able to further her education for which she has worked hard and dreamed of.

Let us be reminded of these young people and that they have placed their dreams beneath our feet and, as such, let us tread softly because we tread on the dreams of a lost generation.

I thank you.


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Sources: YouTube | Democratic Alliance 

About the Author

Brent Lindeque is the founder and editor in charge at Good Things Guy.

Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero, Brent is a change maker, thought leader, radio host, foodie, vlogger, writer and all round good guy.

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