NYDA: ANCYL hijacking opportunities from our youth

Calls by the newly appointed ANC Youth League (ANCYL) President, Collen Maine, to purge the Julius Malema-era cadres from the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and replace them with his own acolytes is a clear indication that the ANC views NYDA as of service to its own members, and not all young South Africans who need jobs and opportunities. 

Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Buti Manamela, should not allow himself to be party to this blatant theft of opportunities for our young people and stand up to Collen Maine and others in the ANCYL.

I challenge Deputy Minister Manamela to act in the interests of all unemployed young people in South Africa and to tell Mr Maine where to get off. 

The term of the current NYDA board is due to end in March 2016. Parliament, through the Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluations has been requested to recommend seven candidates for appointment to the board of the NYDA in terms of section 9 of the National Youth Development Agency Act. 

When this process commences the DA will push for the new NYDA board to be composed of non-partisan individuals who will ensure that NYDA delivers opportunities for all South Africa's young people, regardless of political affiliation.

Should the ANC not agree for non-partisan leadership at NYDA this will further strengthen our case for NYDA to be scrapped and its budget spent on the implementation and intensification of the youth wage subsidy that will benefit all young South Africans not just those linked to the ANCYL.

With an annual budget of R400 million, and with the NYDA CEO earning R1.9 million a year, the agency should be focused on helping all of South Africa's young people – who are battling each day to get by – and not those who are chomie-chomie with the ANCYL elite. 

Issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA Shadow Deputy Minister in the Presidency, 14 September 2015