The Faculty of Health Sciences Alumnus, Mr Avela Mjajubana has made DUT proud by being appointed by the South African President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa as one of the seven members of the new board of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). The new NYDA board was selected in terms of Section 9 of the National Development Agency Act 54 of 2008.
As stipulated in the Act, Ramaphosa appointed seven board members from the 17 names recommended by the National Assembly. The other members consist of young leaders who have made a name for themselves in youth development namely: Ms Asanda Luwaca, Ms Karabo Mohale, Ms Lebo Mulaisi, Mr Thulisa Ndlela, Ms Pearl Pillay and Ms Alexandria Procter.
Mjajubana (30) from Mgojweni village under Nyandeni Municipality in the Eastern Cape province obtained a Master of Health Sciences Degree at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in 2019, producing a remarkable dissertation focusing on Mental Health. He is currently a final year PhD student at the University of Pretoria.
“I am excited and deeply honoured by the responsibility bestowed upon me and the entire team by President Cyril Ramaphosa,” said Mjajubana.
Giving a brief explanation on how he became part of the NYDA board, Mjajubana said he was persuaded by a group of young people to apply for the NYDA board post as they were convinced by his activism, skills and experience in youth development.
“As a young person, Youth Development is one of my keen areas of interest, of course with my background and research work, I have realised that government and private sector need to come together and invest in the future of our country, which is the youth. I bring experience, good inter-personal and communication skills. I aspire to change the lives of young people who swim in the pool of poverty, who are drowning in social ills and substance abuse and have lost hope. I want to ensure that young people, particularly those who are in rural areas get equal economic opportunities,” said Mjajubana, as he explained what he will be bringing to the table of the NYDA board.
Furthermore, Mjajubana said that the NYDA board is appointed to serve for a period of three years. The NYDA is responsible for the coordination of Youth Development in the country, cutting across all spheres of the economy, starting at the basic education till workplace and to the youth in the communities.
“Young people should expect a dynamic, committed and dedicated leadership. They should expect a programmatic and visionary NYDA. We will ensure that we touch every young person’s life particularly the poor and working-class youth,” added Mjajubana on what should be expected from the new board.
Speaking about his journey at DUT, Mjajubana said he is proud of himself for managing to successfully complete his studies at DUT despite coming from harsh conditions that any village boy would face, such as herding cows, fetching water and other social ills.
“In my first year of study I joined a student organisation at Indumiso Campus and actively participated in resolving students’ challenges at the time. I was nurtured and shaped by my background. My motor was, I cannot allow students from poor backgrounds be denied education because of their conditions. They did not choose to be poor, just like me and therefore I had to fight and ensure that they get the same education like me,” he said.
He added that his activism was noticed by his organisation and eventually he got deployed in 2013 as the DUT Student Representative Council (SRC) Secretary General. For Mjajubana, it was very challenging to juggle between his books and SRC responsibilities, however, he mentioned that it was an experience that shaped him to be who he is today.
Mjajubana emphasised that to be a good leader, one must first love the people he/she serves.
Pictured: New NYDA board member, Mr Avela Mjajubana.
Simangele Zuma
