Parliament, Wednesday, 25 October 2023 – The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons and Disabilities held public hearings on the National Youth Development Agency Amendment Bill in Parliament yesterday.
The Bill aims to, among other things, amend the National Youth Development Agency Act, 2008, so as to insert new definitions; to amend the provisions relating to the objects of the Agency; to amend the functions of the Agency; to provide for the governance responsibilities of the Board; to provide for additional Board members; to provide that a Board member may not be reappointed for more than two consecutive terms; to authorise the Minister to make regulations; and to provide for matters connected therewith.
The committee received 14 written submissions from organisations and individuals across the country, and six of them were made at the public hearings. The committee welcomed the input from the National Development Youth Agency (NYDA) on the National Youth Development Agency Amendment Bill and engaged with the entity on its proposals, particularly on the proposal to increase the size of the board, to set age as a criterion, and on the establishment of the NYDA within provinces.
The committee expressed its concern about the lack of NYDA offices in rural communities as well as the general accessibility of many of the existing offices in urban locations. The inaccessibility of the NYDA offices diminishes the NYDA’s potential to meet its objectives. The committee said the entity was created to be a catalyst to assist young people across the country.
The committee noted that the NYDA currently appeared to be confined to urban areas and young people in rural areas were thus disadvantaged in this regard. These matters were discussed at length and views shared by members of the committee for noting by the department.
The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba, expressed a concern about the varied attendance of some members of the Board at committee meetings and their commitment to the NYDA. Notwithstanding the fact that the majority of Board members serve on a part-time basis, the committee is concerned about whether the provisions in the legislation are ample enough to enable accountability and then to apply the enabling provisions to deal with members of the Board who do not comply.
The committee also welcomed the oral submissions made by individuals, as well as organisations such as the Xifaxani Youth Foundation, the Youth Empowerment Organisation, NUPAATHPSA and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, all of whom demonstrated a keen interest in the Bill and provided valuable input for the committee to consider.
The department will brief the committee on its responses on the written and oral submissions as well as the input made by the committee at the next meeting scheduled for 31 October 2023.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WOMEN, YOUTH AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, MS NONHLANHLA NCUBE-NDABA.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Co-Chairpersons, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Mava Lukani (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 503 1840
E-mail: mlukani@parliament.gov.za
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