The latest unemployment statistics have indicated an increase in youth unemployment from 56.4% to 58.2% in the 3rdquarter.
This is unacceptable, plain and simple. Clearly, the government together with its development agency, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), has failed to craft workable and long-lasting solutions that will bring about the necessary job opportunities for the youth of this country.
As things stand, NYDA only has 3 of the 7 board members required for it to make decisions. This means the NYDA is currently incapable of taking decisions rendering it useless and ineffective.
In light of an inquorate board and lack of strong management, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, in terms of Section 49 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA ) to request that she prompts National Treasury to appoint an accounting authority to ensure that the NYDA is not rendered useless – essentially placing it under administration.
Section 49 of the PFMA states that “[every] public entity must have an authority which must be accountable for the purpose of this Act” in the absence of such an authority, Section 49 (3) states “that the relevant treasury, in exceptional circumstances, may approve or instruct that another functionary of a public entity must be the accounting authority for that public entity”.
Given the fact that the process to appoint new board members is dragging on – National Treasury should appoint a relevant accounting authority to ensure that the large numbers of young adults struggling to find work are able to move forward.
Clearly, due to a lack of a functioning board, NYDA is unable to adequately spend the R500 million it received and is failing to live up to its mandate of creating job opportunities for the millions of young people who are trapped in unemployment. The Minister must recognise that it is no longer business as usual, the problem of youth unemployment is getting worse by the day.
The trickle-down effect of all of this is devastating because this high unemployment rate contributes to the high crime and drug abuse amoung young people.
It is indeed a sad and dark time for young people in South Africa as more than half of the youth population finds itself on the periphery of the economy, unemployed and depressed. We need urgent intervention within the NYDA.
It is time for the NYDA to take its mandate seriously and re-focus on the matters affecting young people.