Missing NSF billions could’ve given youth a start in life
“I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.” Whether it’s Whitney Houston or George Benson bellowing out the lyrics, it is a given considering SA’s socioeconomic circumstances.
According to StatsSA, youth unemployment is at 66.5%. Add to this low economic growth and a shortage of adequately skilled people to fill essential roles, it comes as no surprise we’re facing a time bomb.
Given the state of the nation, one would believe skills development funding would be a priority for the minister of higher education, science & technology, Blade Nzimande.
Yet an audit by the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) revealed R5bn from the national skills fund (NSF) could not be “properly accounted for over two financial years”.
The full-scale investigation into the NSF took place in May last year, yet there are still no answers and no-one held accountable for the missing billions.
Where is the money? In the absence of any explanation, words such as maladministration and corruption hang heavy in the air.
One of the biggest diseases facing SA is corruption. The vaccine for this is transparency. Those responsible for the missing NSF funds must be brought to account. The missing R5bn could have been spent on bursaries, learnerships and internships to help unemployed youths reach their potential and become contributing members of society. In the lyrical sentiments of The Greatest Love of All: “Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be.”
Leslie-Anne Boer, Cape Town
Dark, ulterior motives
Eskom pays DStv for advertising time to tell the public to turn off the lights not being used in our homes. Perhaps one of your journalists could ask the entity why it has not banned commercial premises from using excessive amounts of power when not subject to load-shedding?
This particularly refers to car showrooms, estate agents and multistorey car parks. Last Saturday evening when my area had been without power for 72 hours I drove the short distance from the flyover on Beyers Naudé to Cresta in what appeared to be almost complete daylight. Every car showroom, including one with no cars in it, was lit up and an estate agent’s building not only displayed lights in almost every interior room but was floodlit from the outside.
I was the London manager of an international company in 1972 when rolling blackouts were imposed. I was not allowed to use any lights in any offices after office hours and staff were not allowed to work overtime. I was allowed, however, one spotlight directed at the safe in the retail office on the ground floor, visible from the street.
I have long suspected the government, or at least some ministers, have an ulterior motive for these blackouts and if Eskom cannot produce adequate power then more should be done to avoid the use of nonessential power.
Rob Golding, Gauteng
An extra load we want to shed
Residents of KwaDukuza on KwaZuluNatal’s north coast are experiencing a torrid time with load-shedding. Power is not being restored at the stipulated times and the interruptions often continue for hours.
Last week, load-shedding was scheduled at short notice from 9pm to 11.30pm but the power was restored after eight hours. This has become a common occurrence and greatly inconveniences and frustrates residents.
It also places residents’ safety and lives at risk as home alarms are not designed for extended interruptions. It also places those dependent on electricity, for example those on oxygen machines, in grave danger.
The problem appears to lie with the municipality because of rumoured staff and overtime issues. This is worsened by a lack of communication from the municipality as often it is impossible to reach its staff.
This may be the new “normal” but the long-suffering KwaDukuza residents are now gatvol.
Selva Naicker, KwaZulu-Natal
Sow a seed, cherish life
The Salt River Heritage Society’s murals of well-known women activists such as Karima Brown made me believe anew in the important role of activists in SA’s history.
An activist puts people first and works hard to bring about necessary social and political change over time.
Is SA growing in the way that activists such as Brown, who campaigned so endlessly, envisaged? How does the new SA take care of its people? Are enough jobs being created? Are enough houses and schools being built? Are our people getting the service delivery they hoped for and were promised?
Our democracy is not a success story but it can be. It is time for a new generation of activists to challenge the injustices as purposefully as before. It’s time for a new generation of activists to join hands, call the injustices by name and address them with words and actions.
Everyone can make a difference. Talk, write, attend, lend a hand, reach out, keep believing, do and persevere until things get better.
Start with a clean environment: pick up what is dirty. Learn not to waste anything. Use every bit of water. Sow a seed, cherish the life that grows from it.