NYDA spends R10 million on award ceremony
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) will spend R10 million on the South African Youth Awards ceremony this year, a reply to a DA parliamentary question has revealed.
According to the reply:
- a total of R6 027 000.00 will be spent on the awards ceremony through funding from sponsorships; and
- an additional R4 097 994.48 has been spent on advertising the event.
Given the poor track record of the NYDA, and with millions of young South Africans without access to job opportunities, it is simply not justifiable for the organisation to spend such an exorbitant amount on a single event. The funding sought for the awards from sponsors would be better spent on initiatives designed to facilitate youth employment initiatives.
The DA believes that NYDA should rather be focusing on initiatives designed to improve the lives of South Africa's youth, such as the Youth Wage Subsidy. Award ceremony events like this only serve to augment the public profiles of NYDA executives, and do nothing to create new opportunities for unemployed youth.
The NYDA has continuously proven itself to be nothing more than an employment agency for the ANC Youth League and has become a liability. The DA reiterates its call for the NYDA to be disbanded and its funds to be allocated towards improving the lives of millions of unemployed youths.
The time for President for Jacob Zuma to disband NYDA and making the funds available for more meaningful youth employment projects is now.
South Africa cannot continue foot the bill for a useless NYDA while millions of South Africans remain unemployed.
Statement issued by Joe McGluwa MP, DA Shadow Minister of the Presidency, July 30 2013
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