The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Ms Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba says the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) can contribute to the fight against drug and alcohol abuse through its youth empowerment and development programmes.
Today the committee conducted oversight visits to the Mpumalanga provincial offices of the agency as well as beneficiaries supported by the agency. The Chairperson said that while the NYDA was performing fairly it must improve its presence in rural areas to rescue disadvantaged young people from poverty as well as drug and alcohol abuse.
“Young people in the rural areas need your service,it is important that you reach out to everyone and don’t spend much time in the offices but go to the people, the NYDA is the only agency that can save our young people,” said the Chairperson.
The Chairperson said the NYDA also needs to fight harder to empower youth living with disabilities as they were more disadvantaged. During visits to young people who received support from the agency, the committee was impressed by how their businesses were progressing and commended the NYDA for its good work.
The committee also encouraged the NYDA to get more young people in forestry, agriculture and in mining industries in the province.In addition, it was urged to also explore the development and expansion of programmes to get young people into nature and conservation studies and training, given the location of the Kruger National Park in the province.
Yesterday the committee conducted oversight visits to centres that provide support to victims of violence and abuse, and a police station to assess the handling and processing of GBV cases.
After meeting with the leadership of the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) the committee visited the GRIP centre for victims of abuse in KaMagugu, the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) in Themba Hospital as well as the Masoyi Police Station. The committee expressed concern with the conditions of the TCC. It also commended the Masoyi Police Station for the work it is doing with limited resources.
The committee commended the good work of the CGE in supporting programmes that provide support to survivors of domestic violence and abuse in the province.
The committee continues its oversight visit in the province until Friday.