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Petition is successful with 115 signatures
To: President Cyril Ramaphosa
Appoint the NYDA Board
President Ramaphosa announced the new NYDA board on the 22 July 2025
*[Campaign Update]: The President annoinced the New NYDA Board on the 22 July 2025, read more here https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/president-ramaphosa-appoints-national-youth-development-agency-board-members
For six months now, the NYDA has been under a temporary board, whilst names for a new board were recommended and forwarded to the president three months ago. He appointed the temporary board in November of 2024, whilst the process of finding new board members was happening [1]. Since then, the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has not only conducted and concluded interviews of those who had applied, but has also went on to recommend names and submit them to the National Assembly [3]. The National Assembly adopted the names on the 18th of March 2025[4], leaving the ball in the president’s court.
The current board has failed to deal with a number of issues which include the lack of transparency in selection processes for NYDA programmes and opportunities. Additionally, it could not come up with clearer metrics and evidence that demonstrate the effectiveness of NYDA’s programmes as there is a disconnect between reported achievements and the persistent challenges faced by the youth[14]. This board remains because the president has not appointed a new board, an inaction some have attributed to Zwelo Masilela, who was the ANC youth league’s preferred candidate, not featuring in the list of recommended names [6].
Should we see the president’s delay in appointing the board as him prioritizing the interests of his party and it’s youth wing? A member of his cabinet, Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, who is also a member of the ANC, called for the restart of the selection process. She however failed to give solid reasons as to why that should happen [2]. In 2021, it took the same president two months to appoint the board from seventeen recommended names [13]. The delay we are seeing now, proves that indeed the ANC uses the NYDA for it's own political interests.
We demand President Ramaphosa to:-
1. Appoint the NYDA board
2. Not call for the restart of the process
3. Tell us why he has not appointed the board and give us a date, no later than 31 July 2025, on which he will appoint the NYDA board
For six months now, the NYDA has been under a temporary board, whilst names for a new board were recommended and forwarded to the president three months ago. He appointed the temporary board in November of 2024, whilst the process of finding new board members was happening [1]. Since then, the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has not only conducted and concluded interviews of those who had applied, but has also went on to recommend names and submit them to the National Assembly [3]. The National Assembly adopted the names on the 18th of March 2025[4], leaving the ball in the president’s court.
The current board has failed to deal with a number of issues which include the lack of transparency in selection processes for NYDA programmes and opportunities. Additionally, it could not come up with clearer metrics and evidence that demonstrate the effectiveness of NYDA’s programmes as there is a disconnect between reported achievements and the persistent challenges faced by the youth[14]. This board remains because the president has not appointed a new board, an inaction some have attributed to Zwelo Masilela, who was the ANC youth league’s preferred candidate, not featuring in the list of recommended names [6].
Should we see the president’s delay in appointing the board as him prioritizing the interests of his party and it’s youth wing? A member of his cabinet, Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, who is also a member of the ANC, called for the restart of the selection process. She however failed to give solid reasons as to why that should happen [2]. In 2021, it took the same president two months to appoint the board from seventeen recommended names [13]. The delay we are seeing now, proves that indeed the ANC uses the NYDA for it's own political interests.
We demand President Ramaphosa to:-
1. Appoint the NYDA board
2. Not call for the restart of the process
3. Tell us why he has not appointed the board and give us a date, no later than 31 July 2025, on which he will appoint the NYDA board
Why is this important?
Young people in South Africa continue to be challenged by high unemployment levels[7]. The youth does not have the experience that jobs require yet opportunities for them to gain experience are limited. According to StatsSA, youth unemployment has now increased from 44.6% to 46,1. “A new generation finds itself trapped in waiting: waiting for callbacks, internships and meaningful employment that often never materialise.” [8].Because of that, many sectors of society, including the government, encourage young people to start businesses[9].
However, young entrepreneurs and aspirant ones, face a number of challenges. The top two being limited access to funding and lack of entrepreneurship education [10]. Noxolo Nkosi who is a young entrepreneur had this to say after being frustrated by the lack of access to business training opportunities, “it’s so difficult to break through into entrepreneurship when the only information available to me is success stories of pseudo-trust fund babies or tales of failure. Everything else requires money—whether it’s attending a seminar or a course targeted at mid- to senior-level entrepreneurs.” [15]. NYDA exists to help with these challenges.
It’s job is to help the youth with skills development and resources that make them ready to either start or expand their businesses and/or to be job ready. However, hiring of those who are politically connected instead of best-suited, mismanagement of money and lack of transparency and accountability, make NYDA fail at doing it’s job through these programmes[11].NYDA’s budget, which is millions, can assist many disadvantaged young people, afford them a better future, it just needs to be managed by a competent and committed board [12].
When NYDA fails at or is moved away from it’s original job, it is at the expense of us, young people. When the door to the very opportunities that could free us from the shackles of poverty, is being compromised, we need to stand up and act. It is in our best interests to ensure that NYDA is well functioning and that begins with having the right board. Our silence in such matters benefits not us but those with a different agenda. We need to act now by sending complaints or public enquiries to the president, at [email protected]. If enough of us can sign the petition between now and the 23rd of July 2025, we can ensure that the president moves to appoint the board.
References
1. PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA APPOINTS AN INTERIM BOARD FOR NATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. The Presidency, Pretoria. 20 November 2024. https://www.presidency.gov.za/president-ramaphosa-appoints-interim-board-national-youth-development-agency
2. Guest Edition: The NYDA And The Way Forward. Thami Ndlovu for Fighting For Better Blog. 25 April 2025.
https://sabelochalufu.substack.com/p/guest-edition-the-nyda-and-the-way
3. Media Statement: COMMITTEE CONCLUDES SCORING OF CANDIDATES FOR NYDA BOARD. Parliamentary Communication Services. 05 March 2025 https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-releases/media-statement-committee-concludes-scoring-candidates-nyda-board
4. NA ADOPTS REPORTS RECOMMENDING NYDA BOARD MEMBERS. Parliamentary Communication Services. 18 March 2025
https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-releases/na-adopts-reports-recommending-nyda-board-members#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20National%20Youth,recommendation%20of%20the%20National%20Assembly
6. Ramaphosa’s three-way headache as race for NYDA board kicks off. Mawande Ashabalala for Sunday World. 03 February 2025
https://sundayworld.co.za/news/ramaphosas-three-way-headache-as-race-for-nyda-board-kicks-off/
7. The Social Profile of South African Youth: A Decade in Review. Stats SA. 27 February 2025
https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=18083
8. Youth unemployment in SA surges to 46%-Advocacy groups demand jobs guarantee. Thabo Makwakwa for IOL. 10 June 2025
https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2025-06-10-youth-unemployment-in-sa-surges-to-46-advocacy-groups-demand-jobs-guarantee/
9. Entrepreneurship key to solving youth unemployment crisis. Aarti Bhana for Mail&Guardian. 11 May 2025
https://mg.co.za/business/2025-05-18-entrepreneurship-key-to-solving-sas-youth-unemployment-crisis/
10. YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA (CONTINUED). MTN SME HUB.
https://mtnsmehub.co.za/business-advise/youth-entrepreneurship-in-south-africa-continued/
11. NO SUSTAINED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Mzwandile Banjathwa for Corruption Watch. 04 October 2021
https://www.corruptionwatch.org.za/no-sustained-youth-development-without-transparency-and-accountability/
12. NYDA board interviews: DA will stand against ANC political patronage. Luyolo Mpithi for politicsweb. 22 June 2021
https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/nyda-board-interviews-da-will-stand-against-anc-po
13. Ramaphosa appoints new NYDA board, first since May 2020. Asanda Makinana for TimesLIVE, 10 November 2021.
https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2021-11-10-ramaphosa-appoints-new-nyda-board-first-since-may-2020/
14. Media Statement: Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Briefed by NYDA. Paliamentary Communuication Services, 18 October 2024.
https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-releases/media-statement-committee-women-youth-and-persons-disabilities-briefed-nyda
15. Youth-driven Entrepreneurship and The Struggle for Access by Kabelo Milton for I Am Youth.
https://www.iamyouth.co.za/youth-driven-entrepreneurship-and-the-struggle-for-access/
However, young entrepreneurs and aspirant ones, face a number of challenges. The top two being limited access to funding and lack of entrepreneurship education [10]. Noxolo Nkosi who is a young entrepreneur had this to say after being frustrated by the lack of access to business training opportunities, “it’s so difficult to break through into entrepreneurship when the only information available to me is success stories of pseudo-trust fund babies or tales of failure. Everything else requires money—whether it’s attending a seminar or a course targeted at mid- to senior-level entrepreneurs.” [15]. NYDA exists to help with these challenges.
It’s job is to help the youth with skills development and resources that make them ready to either start or expand their businesses and/or to be job ready. However, hiring of those who are politically connected instead of best-suited, mismanagement of money and lack of transparency and accountability, make NYDA fail at doing it’s job through these programmes[11].NYDA’s budget, which is millions, can assist many disadvantaged young people, afford them a better future, it just needs to be managed by a competent and committed board [12].
When NYDA fails at or is moved away from it’s original job, it is at the expense of us, young people. When the door to the very opportunities that could free us from the shackles of poverty, is being compromised, we need to stand up and act. It is in our best interests to ensure that NYDA is well functioning and that begins with having the right board. Our silence in such matters benefits not us but those with a different agenda. We need to act now by sending complaints or public enquiries to the president, at [email protected]. If enough of us can sign the petition between now and the 23rd of July 2025, we can ensure that the president moves to appoint the board.
References
1. PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA APPOINTS AN INTERIM BOARD FOR NATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. The Presidency, Pretoria. 20 November 2024. https://www.presidency.gov.za/president-ramaphosa-appoints-interim-board-national-youth-development-agency
2. Guest Edition: The NYDA And The Way Forward. Thami Ndlovu for Fighting For Better Blog. 25 April 2025.
https://sabelochalufu.substack.com/p/guest-edition-the-nyda-and-the-way
3. Media Statement: COMMITTEE CONCLUDES SCORING OF CANDIDATES FOR NYDA BOARD. Parliamentary Communication Services. 05 March 2025 https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-releases/media-statement-committee-concludes-scoring-candidates-nyda-board
4. NA ADOPTS REPORTS RECOMMENDING NYDA BOARD MEMBERS. Parliamentary Communication Services. 18 March 2025
https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-releases/na-adopts-reports-recommending-nyda-board-members#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20National%20Youth,recommendation%20of%20the%20National%20Assembly
6. Ramaphosa’s three-way headache as race for NYDA board kicks off. Mawande Ashabalala for Sunday World. 03 February 2025
https://sundayworld.co.za/news/ramaphosas-three-way-headache-as-race-for-nyda-board-kicks-off/
7. The Social Profile of South African Youth: A Decade in Review. Stats SA. 27 February 2025
https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=18083
8. Youth unemployment in SA surges to 46%-Advocacy groups demand jobs guarantee. Thabo Makwakwa for IOL. 10 June 2025
https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2025-06-10-youth-unemployment-in-sa-surges-to-46-advocacy-groups-demand-jobs-guarantee/
9. Entrepreneurship key to solving youth unemployment crisis. Aarti Bhana for Mail&Guardian. 11 May 2025
https://mg.co.za/business/2025-05-18-entrepreneurship-key-to-solving-sas-youth-unemployment-crisis/
10. YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA (CONTINUED). MTN SME HUB.
https://mtnsmehub.co.za/business-advise/youth-entrepreneurship-in-south-africa-continued/
11. NO SUSTAINED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Mzwandile Banjathwa for Corruption Watch. 04 October 2021
https://www.corruptionwatch.org.za/no-sustained-youth-development-without-transparency-and-accountability/
12. NYDA board interviews: DA will stand against ANC political patronage. Luyolo Mpithi for politicsweb. 22 June 2021
https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/nyda-board-interviews-da-will-stand-against-anc-po
13. Ramaphosa appoints new NYDA board, first since May 2020. Asanda Makinana for TimesLIVE, 10 November 2021.
https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2021-11-10-ramaphosa-appoints-new-nyda-board-first-since-may-2020/
14. Media Statement: Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Briefed by NYDA. Paliamentary Communuication Services, 18 October 2024.
https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-releases/media-statement-committee-women-youth-and-persons-disabilities-briefed-nyda
15. Youth-driven Entrepreneurship and The Struggle for Access by Kabelo Milton for I Am Youth.
https://www.iamyouth.co.za/youth-driven-entrepreneurship-and-the-struggle-for-access/