Parliamentary sub-committee recommends 17 names for NYDA new board

Cape Town - THE sub-committee of the two parliamentary committees tasked with the selection of a new board of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) decided to recommend 17 candidates to Parliament and President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday.

This comes after the committee concluded the four-day interviews of 40 candidates last month.

Parliament received more than 1000 applications to fill the seven vacant positions on the board.

Speaking at the meeting, co-chairperson of the sub-committee Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba said they wanted to make a recommendation that would be accepted by everyone.

“This time, honourable members, the report we are to present to both Houses will be accepted by all the political parties,” Ncube-Ndaba said.

The proceedings were preceded by the failed court bid to interdict the selection when one of the aspirant board members, Letlhogonolo Modisane Maimane, approached the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.

Maimane lodged an urgent application after he was not among the 40 shortlisted candidates, but his application was struck off the court roll.

Another potential court challenge did not go through.

A visibly relieved Ncube-Ndaba said they had done everything accordingly.

“There is nothing we have done that is flawed, so we want to thank our legal team for making those legal representations in court,” she said.

During their meeting, MPs were presented with a list of 20 top performing students.

Parliamentary legal adviser Herman Tembe told MPs they should take into account the issues that were raised when Parliament referred their report on the NYDA board for reconsideration after complaints were received.

Tembe said the issues included the legal prescripts of the NYDA Act that entailed geographic spread, demographics and disability of the candidates.

He also said the external legal opinion obtained by National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise had advised that they could recommend up to double the board’s size.

“It was said if the committee recommends the exact number, it means that the president will just rubber-stamp the recommendation,” Tembe said, adding that it was up to the board to decide on the number to recommend to Parliament and Ramaphosa.

“It should be more than the available vacancies. The committee should be alive to demographics, geographical spread and take into account affirmative action – Africans, Coloureds, Indians and look into disability and women.”

However, the committee decided to recommend 17 names from the top 20 performing candidates, saying all the requirements of the NYDA Act were met.

The recommended list is made up of nine female and eight males candidates.

There are 14 black Africans, one each Coloured, Indian and white candidates.

The recommended candidates come from seven provinces, except Free State and North West.

Gauteng has six candidates, Kwazulu-Natal three, Western Cape three,

Eastern Cape two, and one each from Limpopo, Northern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

There will be a joint meeting of the portfolio committee on women, youth and persons with disabilities and the select committee on health and social services today to adopt the sub-committee’s recommendation and also adopt a report for submission to the two Houses.

The candidates are:

1. Karabo Mosepja Mohale

2. Molaoli Sekake

3. Mihlali Pedro Mzileni

4. Lukhona Afika Mnguni

5. Paballo Ponoane

6. Kutloano Esau Rakosa

7. Micarlo Malan

8. Avela Mjajubana

9. Lebogang Mulaisi

10. Thabo Shingange

11. Alexandria Syrah Procter