Newly appointed National Youth DevelopmentAgency executive chairperson Dr Sunshine Minenhle Myende has vowed to ensure that the impact of her work is felt in the country’s most far-flung areas.
Speaking to TimesLIVE Premium after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced her appointment, Myende said she was beyond humbled at the opportunity and what it means for the youth who come from similar circumstances.
“I am both humbled and excited to have been bestowed this great responsibility by the president. As a young rural girl from KwaZulu-Natal, I grew up seeing how the youth can be affected by unemployment, poverty, lack of access to opportunities and hopelessness. It means a lot that someone like me can be trusted to play a role in changing the lives of many young people in our country.”
Myende said this was a win for representation, and she hoped to be a beacon of hope for many rural youths.
She holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in criminology and forensic studies.
“I have seen the power of education in transforming the lives of not just my own, but what it can do for those around me. I think it is very important to focus on developmental programmes to uplift young people, as well as deal with systemic challenges such as location, by bringing the NYDA to them and improving access to opportunities by removing the barriers such as data.”
According to Myende, her tenure will be marked by increased accessibility of the agency to the most vulnerable youth.
“In South Africa we are dealing with youth that is facing different challenges, and therefore the approach to resolving those issues cannot be homogeneous. We’ve got to ensure that all our strategies and interventions are directly targeted to the constituency of youth that are affected by a particular issue.
“What remains a major goal is for us to reach all kinds of youth through the agency, whether they are in rural KZN, Eastern Cape or villages in Limpopo — the time for them to find the NYDA is over, we must be an NYDA that goes to young people where they are, especially the disadvantaged.”
Her second-in-command Bonga Makhanya shares the same view. Makhanya said his appointment allowed them to effect the change they want to see, particularly through the use of state levers.
“The NYDA as an arm of government can change the face of rural areas, townships and remote areas which are corners that you can’t reach when you’re leading an NGO. With some of the resources that the state has, as well as the ideas we will share as a collective and are passionate about, we are ready to hit the ground running to effect impactful change.”
Makhanya, an economics honours graduate, currently holds the position of founding chairperson of the South African Youth Economic Council.
We’ve got to put in the necessary foundations, systems and programmes where young people benefit from state resources and are much closer to the government work that is there for them.
— Bonga Makhanya, founding chairperson of the South African Youth Economic Council
He told TimesLIVE Premium that this platform will allow him greater impact to continue the youth development work he has been championing.
He sees the president’s appointment as a great opportunity, and he is optimistic about the diverse set of skills of the new board members
“I’m really looking forward to the collaboration and seeing how different people think, and approach the same set of problems. I’m approaching this with an open mindset and fresh perspective, wanting to listen to young people a bit more on what they believe their solutions are to their challenges. Sometimes as a leader, you might want to come with all the answers, but I believe that when given such a responsibility, it is equally important to listen.”
Makhanya said the fundamental change he wants to see is how young people are viewed in the country, as well as how the state capacitates them.
“We’ve got to put in the necessary foundations, systems and programmes where young people benefit from state resources and are much closer to the government work that is there for them. If we can ensure efficient systems and long-lasting programmes, such as tangible access to business opportunities, we will see the real-life impact for millions of young people in South Africa in terms of the business support mechanisms we have, economic reform and employment opportunities that are there.”
In line with the NYDA Act, the role of the board is to address issues faced by South Africa's young people
The agency functions as a single, unitary structure addressing youth development issues at national, provincial and local government level.
The new board is set to take office on August 1 and their tenure will run for three years as stipulated by legislation.
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