Ramaphosa challenges youth to use COVID-19 crisis to seek new opportunities

President Cyril Ramaphosa has challenged the youth to use the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to seek out new opportunities for the future. Ramaphosa was speaking in a virtual panel meeting with a group of influential young people.

Young people have used Youth Day to express concerns to the President about job insecurity and the declining economy as COVID-19 infections and the death toll rises.

In the video below, SABC Digital News hosts young people’s panel analysing Ramaphosa’s Youth Day speech:

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President Ramaphosa says the government is looking forward to creative new ideas from young people.

“We are looking forward to innovation, creativity, new ideas from young people and we want young people who are going to speak out and step forward. COVID-19 is pregnant with opportunities so I am throwing a challenge to young people to begin to see that post COVID-19 as their new platform. We need to set up different ways of running our economy, of managing our economy of even production.”

In the video below, President Ramaphosa delivers Youth Day message:

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Ramaphosa has urged the youth to help grow the economy after the coronavirus pandemic.

“I am saying to the financiers, I want to raise another R500 billion, a trillion, to support young people and all our people to get jobs. For me, this is a great moment for young people; they just make my heart melt because they are full of ideas. I say I want those ideas, give me those ideas so that we can change this country.”

In the video below, the President calls on the youth to lead SA’s economic recovery post-COVID-19:

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