Cape Town - The heavy workload of the Western Cape Liquor Authority (WCLA) governing board has necessitated the urgent replacement of two members, even though the process of selecting new members for the entire board is set for March next year.
Acting head of the Department of Community Safety Yashina Pillay told the standing committee that having full capacity in light of the critical legislative process was critical.
However, committee chairperson Reagen Allen said: “We are now two months away from the end of 2020 and if the process is to be repeated within the first quarter of next year, the question arises about whether it could not all be done in one go.”
The department was briefing the committee on plans to shortlist candidates to fill vacancies on the WCLA governing board which arose in June with the resignations of two members, chairperson Thembalihle Sidaki and member Underé Deglon.
“We are currently busy with amendments to the Liquor Act and we thought it would be critical at this stage to have the additional members brought on board. The WCLA has a crucial role to play in relation to the deliverables of the Western Cape safety plan in relation to alcohol harm reduction, and so we thought we should capacitate the board now, rather than later,” said Pillay.
Allen said: “The committee has duly adopted a process to evaluate 19 candidates. The time frame for this process is subject to the programming authority, after which the committee will make recommendations to the MEC. As a committee, we will ensure the process is dealt with timeously."
The department’s chief director for security risk management, Simion George said: “Ordinarily the governing board consists of seven members. There are currently five members remaining. The regulations ... say it must have six members who have appropriate knowledge of or experience in systems and processes,” said George.
“It must also have one member, at the very least, who has appropriate knowledge of or experience in dealing with the combating of the negative social consequences of the abuse of liquor.”
Cape Argus