NYDA vehemently denies it spent R2.6m of government funds to build an incomplete RDP home in Sedibeng

29 April 2022 - 07:17
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The interior of the RDP house built for R2.6m in Evaton last year.
The interior of the RDP house built for R2.6m in Evaton last year.
Image: DA

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) has refuted claims it squandered R2.6m on building an incomplete single RDP home for a family in Sedibeng. 

The agency was implicated in the scandal by Gauteng human settlements MEC Lebogang Maile when he answered questions posed by the DA in the provincial legislature.

Maile told the legislature a company known as Conloy was the service provider to build the house and had been appointed by the NYDA, which has a memorandum of understanding with the Sedibeng t municipality. 

The NYDA suggested this was misleading.

NYDA CEO Waseem Carrim explained the agency’s role in the construction of the house. 

“We were requested by the Sedibeng municipality to support a programme of workplace training and development of young people in construction for three months in Sedibeng in the previous year,” said Carrim. 

“Sedibeng would then use young people in its construction-related programmes. We agreed to this intergovernmental partnership and allocated R550,000 to the partnership.”

He said the funds provided by the NYDA are:

  • R150,000 for stipends for 20 young people at a rate of R2,500 per month for three months.
  • R400,000 for tools of trade for 20 young people at R2,000 per young person. This  includes their construction kits, personal and protective equipment and uniforms.

Carrim suggested all their documents were in order and the youth who participated were all given their stipends, tools and qualification showing their participation. 

“Their qualifications are available for viewing should any interested party want to inspect them,” said Carrim. 

The exterior of the RDP house which allegedly cost the Sedibeng municipality more than R2.6m.
The exterior of the RDP house which allegedly cost the Sedibeng municipality more than R2.6m.
Image: Supplied.

He said at no point has the agency appointed any service provider, nor has it paid any amounts to service providers other than the Sedibeng district municipality. He called for the municipality to publicly clarify this. 

The DA had on Thursday expressed its shock and dismay at the multi-million rand RDP home, saying the house was not complete and had cracks in some walls.

Almost R3m later, some rooms in the house were not tiled.

The house was built after a letter written by a grade 11 schoolgirl from Evaton and dated October 10 2019 to the Sedibeng MMC for health and social development requested the extension of the RDP house because there are many occupants.

The girl said her mother was ill and unemployed.

Instead of an extension, another RDP house was built next to it.

Gauteng DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala bemoaned the high cost of the project, saying the money could have been used to fund about 25 youth businesses with R100,000 each.

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