Cape Town – National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise has revealed she is looking at the processes followed by the committee formed to nominate the board of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).
Modise told the National Assembly programme committee on Thursday they had received a challenge to the processes of the committee when it nominated seven board members following interviews of 29 candidates early this month.
"We have had challenges to the processes of the committee. I have not reached any conclusion," Modise said.
"I still have to get advice on it because I want to be satisfied that, in fact, what the committee did from (start) to finish was correct and cannot be attacked as it is being challenged," she said.
She was responding to EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi, who asked why the appointment of the NYDA board was not on the parliamentary programme as yet, even though it has been finalised.
Committee chairperson Cedric Frolick said the NYDA matter was out of the hands of the joint committee.
Frolick also said their report was in the order paper, which outlines items for consideration according to categories.
"The committee has no further task to fulfil," he added.
Modise agreed that the joint committee has concluded its work but there were legal challenges to its process.
"We just want to be satisfied that we are on top of the things," she said.
"There are interesting challenges to the outcomes and process... We will look into that. We will also be asking for a discussion with Mr Frolick around the NYDA," Modise added.
Meanwhile, the national legislature is considering extending the lifespan of the ad hoc committee on the appointment of the auditor-general, which is tasked to find a replacement for incumbent Kimi Makwetu, whose non-renewable term ends later this year.
The committee was meant to finish its work on Monday, but it has not done so as it still awaits security clearance of the candidates from the State Security Agency (SSA).
There is now consideration of the term to be extended to the end of September or closer to October, when MPs returned from recess.
EFF MP Ntombovuyo Mente said the delays in issuing of clearance certificates by SSA was always frustrating.
"We can't really have an intelligence that takes forever to clear candidates. It drags the work of Parliament and we look like incompetent people," Mente said.
Modise shared her sentiments and undertook to follow up the matter.
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina said the SSA should in future be given a turnaround time to do their work that fits the national legislature timelines.
Modise said they would ask that there be a dedicated team on standby for parliamentary request on matter of issuing of security clearance.
Parliament previously took longer to establish its joint standing committee on intelligence due to delays in security clearances for MPs appointed to serve on that committee.
Political Bureau