Reading about how the NYDA spent R106m on a useless, pointless party just reinforced the idea that anything remotely connected to the ANC, even if it is not officially, tends to follow the kleptocratic path.
Here is an agency tasked with uplifting the youth - the same youth demanding economic freedom - who are doing everything but what they are mandated to. The immediate impression is of yet another drain on public funds, and the underlying message is "why bother creating jobs when we can blame the white man".
Still, perceptions are just that - an opinion formed by the appearance of an action, so let us focus on something more concrete.
Instead of spending R106m on a party designed to do no more but glorify themselves, let us consider that the NYDA actually spent their money on developing the youth.
They could have created a business plan competition, which would award four hundred small business start-up capital prizes of R25 000 each to deserving youth businesses.
That is 400 potential new employers, and if each one of them created just one new job directly, that would be 400 new jobs too Eight hundred people, at a minimum, who would be able to be self-sufficient.
The argument here is usually "but not everyone is an entrepreneur".
True, this is why I said base it on a business plan competition. That way, you can gauge the good ideas, and the insight, of the competitors.
Of course, there would also be R6m left after the competition had run its course. Most of that could be used on support and training for the new youth entrepreneurs. Which should give them a relatively solid grounding, and I am pretty sure that an initiative like this would have support from big business, and very probably a lot of volunteer mentors.
Then, to publicise the whole thing, a press release. Perhaps some news coverage on the ANC’s pet broadcaster, the SABC?
Basically, what I am saying is that four hundred new youth businesses were thrown away on balloons and self-glorification by the NYDA.
And we wonder why South Africa is a shambles, with no hope in sight?
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