Recommendations by a parliamentary committee for the National Youth Commission to form part of an overarching human rights body would further undermine youth development, the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) said on Wednesday.
”The ANCYL is vehemently opposed to the recommendations of the ad hoc committee on review of chapter nine and associated institutions,” said spokesperson Zizi Kodwa. ”It [the recommendations] would further undermine youth development and will wither away anything called youth development.”
The report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday called for the South African Human Rights Commission to incorporate the National Youth Commission, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (together with the Pan South African Language Board), and the Commission for Gender Equality.
This would result in the formation of an ”umbrella” human rights organisation.
Kodwa said in order to meet the needs of the youth, a ”seamless body at national level” is required. ”There is [currently] only loose coordination of youth development, even in government, so the impact is not felt,” he said.
While cultural and gender issues are part of the youth-development agenda, one body dealing with all these issues would see youth development sidelined, he added.
Tuesday’s report was critical of the National Youth Commission, saying it did not serve its purpose. Further, parliamentary mechanisms for oversight of the commission were inadequate.
”The commission is not particularly effective in carrying out its mandate,” it found.
The Open Democracy Advice Centre on Tuesday hailed the move, saying it represented a ”new dawn” for South Africa. — Sapa