YCL,+National+Day+of+Defiance,+Zimbabwe+and+Khutsong

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
=RE: National Day of Defiance, Zimbabwe and Khutsong=


 * Date: 17 April 2006**

As part of our Defiance Campaign, we will be having a march to mark the National Day of Defiance on the 18th April 2006 to submit the 10 Youth Demands for 2015. The march will highlight the demarcation issue of Khutsong, unemployment, poverty, free education and the human rights abuse perpetrated by the government of Zimbabwe on its people.

The Defiance Campaign is anti-capitalist in nature, and seeks to change the lives of youth post-1994 in South Africa to the better. The Defiance Campaign is targeting both government and business, which we believe have a primary responsibility to ensure the ultimate development of youth.

The march will proceed from Library Gardens at 11h00 (Johannesburg Corner President and Simmonds Street) to the Premiers Office were both government and business will come and receive the demands. From there, we will proceed to the Zimbabwean High Commission at (Corner Anderson and Souer Street).


 * Date: 18 April 2006**
 * Time: 11h00**
 * Venue: Library Gardens, Corner President and Simmonds Street, Johannesburg.**

The 18th April 2006 further marks the 26th Anniversary of Independence in Zimbabwe. A further purpose will be to indicate that those who brought democracy and independence to the Zimbabwean people have virtually taken it away from ordinary Zimbabweans, as witnessed by the plunging economy with inflation close to 1000%.


 * A summary of the demands to government and business includes:**


 * Nationalisation of all land used for commercial purposes
 * Nationalisation of mineral wealth for the welfare of all people
 * The creation of a State Bank to finance co-operatives, Small medium Enterprises and other developmental needs for youth
 * Basic services to all
 * Lowering of pension age to 55yrs for both woman and men in order to create job opportunities for young people
 * Extension of child support grants to 18 years
 * Extension of school feeding schemes from pre-school to high schools
 * Free Education for all starting from pre-school to tertiary level and further education and training
 * Job creation for the youth
 * The establishment, support and procurement towards one youth co-operative in each municipal ward by the end of the current 5 year local government term (One Ward – One Youth Co-operative)


 * A summary of demands to the Zimbabwean government includes:**


 * An end to human rights abuse on students and youth
 * Drastic measures be taken to build the Zimbabwean economy through a collective political and economic process
 * Access to education, and a moratorium on school and other tuition fees.
 * An end to the suppression of the media, and the release and dropping of charges against media personell arrested by the Zimbabwean regime.
 * An open and consultative process that will result in a constitutional review.
 * Immediate resignation of the Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe as under his leadership the country has gotten worse and worse.


 * On Khutsong we will be calling for:**


 * Government to reconsider its position on the demarcation of Khutsong into North West.
 * Immediate by-election post the demarcation process as the elected representatives of that municipality were elected by less than 1% of the electorate.

We are expecting young people from Limpopo, North West, Free State and Mpumalanga to join the march in Gauteng. Already, civil society of Zimbabweans have committed to mobilize Zimbabweans exiled in South Africa to participate in the march.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:


 * Castro Ngobese (National Spokesperson of the YCLSA) @ 082 678 2612**