Fat salaries for frauds at the NYDA: Qualifications probe must be made public

15 February 2015

I will today write to the Chair of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Bertha Mabe, asking her to summon the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to Parliament to explain its "fat salaries for frauds" scandal.

A report in today's Sunday Times reveals that an independent probe at the NYDA uncovered at least two senior managers had misrepresented their qualifications. At the time of the investigation, they were both earning over R1 million.

One of them, Clayton Peters, continues to draw a salary of R1.2million from the NYDA, despite lying about the fact that he had obtained a diploma in management from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Instead of disciplining Mr Peters, as recommended by the investigator's report, the NYDA has engineered a cushy secondment for him to the Presidency, while continuing to pay his salary.

Mr Peters was allegedly seconded to the Presidency at Deputy Minister Buti Manamela's request.

This exemplifies everything that is wrong with the NYDA. It is an amoral, corrupt, money-sucking, patronage-dispensing parasite that rewards frauds with fat salaries at the taxpayers' expense.

The CEO of the NYDA, Khathu Ramukumba, has soft-pedalled Mr Peters' act of fraud as "innocent misrepresentation". But this will not do.

The NYDA must account to Parliament, make public the findings of its qualifications probe, and implement the disciplinary recommendations as directed. 

Statement issued by Dr Michael Cardo MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister in the Presidency, February 15 2015

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