NYDA board selection process drags on (and on) to March

The board of the National Youth Development Agency will only be appointed in March.

The National Assembly adopted a motion to this effect yesterday morning, but with objection from the Economic Freedom Fighters.

EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu said the committee that must appoint the board could not get to work because of ANC infighting about who should be deployed to the board.

Shivambu said that Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe had illegally appointed an interim board, and called for legal interim measures to be established.

Democratic Alliance MP Yusuf Cassim said the previous committee could not appoint board members because the board members had to be from a certain faction in the ANC Youth League.

It is a reflection of the ANC that Parliament’s time is being wasted, he said.

Inkatha Freedom Party MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa pointed out that the committee had lowered the bar so that certain people could be appointed.

Hlengwa referred to the requirements that were lowered so that it wasn’t necessary for a board member to have a tertiary qualification.

This was allegedly done so that the ANC Youth League deputy president Dennis Moela, who didn’t have a tertiary qualification, could be the next board chairperson.

Philemon Mapulane, ANC MP and chairperson of the ad hoc committee that was established to appoint the board, said a postponement should be granted so that the committee could allow time for public participation and so that the process would be transparent.

“Our information is that the honourable minister has appointed a person to carry out the functions of the board so that there isn’t a vacuum,” he said.

“All these allegations over the youth league ... we are not aware of them,” he said, to a groan from the opposition benches.

The motion to extend the life of the committee to the end of March was accepted with 256 votes against 17, and one MP who abstained.

The process to appoint the board was halted in May without an official reason, and the committee’s meetings last month were also postponed at the eleventh hour.

14 candidates were shortlisted by the committee this morning, with interviews to take place in January.

	Jan Gerber Parliamentary journalist City Press p: +27 11 713 9001 w: www.citypress.co.za  e: jan.gerber@24.com
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