Citizen3.png NYDA is not a cash cow for any party Ngwako Modjadji, The Citizen, Johannesburg, 15 September 2015 Deputy Minister in Presidency Buti Manamela yesterday dismissed as unfounded long held suspicions that the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) was an extension of the ruling ANC Youth League. In the past some of the top NYDA officials, who were in charge of distributing financial aid, were members of the ANCYL. The former chairperson Andile Lungisa was a senior ANCYL member. But yesterday Manamela categorically stated that the agency was "not a cash cow" for any political party. "The NYDA is not a cash cow of certain faction within the movement," Manamela, who is the former Young Communist League secretary, said. "The NYDA does not, and cannot, belong to any political party." Manamela made the remarks while briefing the media on the NYDA's clean audit in Parktown, Johannesburg, yesterday. He said the agency must serve all young people in the country. This comes amid calls by the newly-elected ANC Youth League leadership for the present NYDA board to be removed and be replaced with the new one. The ANCYL could not be reached for comment. Manamela said: "We will not achieve anything in engaging with the new leadership of the ANCYL in public." The term of the current NYDA board is due to end in March next year. The DA said it will push for the new NYDA board to be composed of non-partisan individuals who will ensure that the NYDA delivers opportunities for all young people regardless of political affiliation. "Should the ANC not agree for non-partisan leadership at NYDA this will further strengthen our case for NYDA to be scrapped," DA MP Phumzile van Damme said. She said the agency's budget spent on the youth wage subsidy should benefit all young South Africans, not just those linked to the ANCYL, adding that the ANCYL's call was a clear indication the ANC viewed the agency as a service for its own members. Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is investigating the past use of NYDA funds. With a whopping R403 million annual budget, Manamela said the agency needed more money for youth development. <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] From: <http://citizen.co.za/771208/nyda-not-a-cash-cow-for-any-party/> http://citizen.co.za/771208/nyda-not-a-cash-cow-for-any-party/ -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "YCLSA Discussion Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
