NYDA DA

DA leader John Steenhuisen unveils the party’s manifesto for the 1 November Local Government Elections. Image via Twitter/@ourDA

‘It does nothing for the youth’: DA calls for NYDA to be scrapped

The DA says the NYDA should be scrapped because it does nothing for young people and does not create real jobs and opportunities.

NYDA DA

DA leader John Steenhuisen unveils the party’s manifesto for the 1 November Local Government Elections. Image via Twitter/@ourDA

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the National Government to immediately scrap the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) it describes as a ‘R500 million ANC slush fund’

The party says for half a billion rand the NYDA employs ANC cadres in high-paying jobs but creates no real jobs and opportunities for unemployed young South Africans at large.

WHY DOES THE DA WANT NYDA TO BE SCRAPPED? 

DA Youth Interim Federal leader, Nicholas Nyati said the NYDA does nothing for young people in rural communities, it does nothing for unskilled young people to developmental programmes that will help grow their potential. 

Nyati said instead, NYDA board members are paid an average of R500 000 annually to attend ten board meetings per year. Imagine what that could do for small businesses?

“Let’s replace this R500 million ANC slush fund, with a R500 million Youth Job Creation Plan,” he said 

NYDA DA
DA Youth Interim Federal leader, Nicholas Nyati. Image via Twitter/@NicholasNyati.

The interim leader was addressing attendees at the main Youth Day celebrations in Alexandra, Gauteng on Thursday.

“Young graduates are stripped of their dignity and forced to stand at traffic intersections, looking for jobs. Our sisters can’t afford to buy sanitary towels – prices are skyrocketing. In many communities young people are forced to exchange sex for jobs. Where is their dignity? Without a job, young people don’t have dignity.

“Our biggest struggle as a generation is unemployment. We do not have couches stashed with millions of dollars – we need jobs to buy bread and milk, we need jobs to keep up with the rising cost of living, and we need jobs to build a secure future.

DA Youth Interim Federal leader

Yesterday marked 46 years since the Soweto Uprising where young people protested against the imposition of Afrikaans by the apartheid regime as a medium of instruction.

ALSO READ: NYDA spends R2.6m on one RDP house in Evaton West, Sedibeng