(Subcommittee) NYDA Board Vacancies: Interviews day 1

Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

22 June 2021
Chairperson: Ms C Ndaba (ANC) & Ms M Gillion (Western Cape, ANC)
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Meeting Summary

Video: Sub-Committee of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and Select     Part 3   Part 5

Candidate CVs: https://tinyurl.com/pd5wzf25

The Sub-Committee, formed from the National Assembly and NCOP Committees dealing with youth, interviewed 10 of the 40 candidates on first day of interviews. After the interviews are completed it will recommend 14 candidates from whom the President will appoint seven to the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Board. The interviews were conducted physically in Parliament, with the exception of one candidate who was interviewed virtually.  

Members asked questions about their background; why they believed that they were the right candidate for the position; involvement in community youth structures; functions of the NYDA Board according to its Act; measures to curb political interference; upholding and implementing the principles of good governance; what the NYDA Board would do to change young people’s lives during and post Covid-19; and measures to ensure that the Board adhered to the NYDA Act. A follow up question including their view of increasing the number of NYDA Board members which is a proposed amendment to the Act

Meeting report

Ms C Ndaba (ANC), Chairperson, noted that the CVs of the candidates were available to Members. She referred to the resolutions taken by the Committee in the closed Committee meeting of 21 June 2021 on the rules and procedures as well as the framework for the interviews.

Ms M Gillion (Western Cape, ANC), Co-Chairperson, thanked the support staff who had assisted in the NYDA Board appointment process. This was a big process for the South African youth and she wished everyone best of luck. She emphasised the importance of transparency for this process and how all media channels needed to be assured that they are working properly so every South African can view the interviews.

Ms Gillion explained that one candidate would have a virtual interview while the rest of the candidates would be interviewed physically. Each candidate would be given 45 minutes and the Committee would interview 10 candidates today. The rules and procedures as well as the framework for the entire process were adopted yesterday in the closed meeting and today the Committee was expecting to move smoothly.

Ms Gillion said a question came through social media asking why the Committee started shortlisting for the NYDA Board when the public comments on the candidates had not yet closed. She said the Committee has ensured that all the rules and procedures of Parliament have been followed in a legal manner. There are no shenanigans as some people in the public domain seem to believe.

Dr Herman Tembe, Legal Officer: Office on Institutions Supporting Democracy, Parliament, replied about the shortlisting being parallel with the public comments process. It is an absurd perception that some believe that the CVs were not uploaded by the time of the shortlisting and were deprived of public comment. The shortlisting is not dependent on the public comments; the basis for shortlisting was the advert and the shortlisting criteria. The uploading of the CVs was for transparency purposes so that the public was aware of the candidates that were shortlisted. The shortlisting of the Committee did not depend on public comment.

Some candidates seem to believe that because their CVs were not uploaded timeously on the website, their applications were not treated fairly. Parliament decided that the public comments and the uploading of CVs should run parallel to shorten the time between shortlisting and public comments. It was now two weeks after the shortlisting was done and there was sufficient time for public comments to be submitted.

The NYDA Act does not oblige the Committee to publish all the CVs, but speaks only about the shortlisted candidates. This perception that the Committee therefore violated the NYDA Act is incorrect.

Mr L Mphithi (DA) asked how the questions will be asked.

The Chairperson said that not all Members will ask questions but all political parties will have an opportunity to ask questions because there are more Members than the questions to be asked. 

The Committee interviewed the following candidates:
Ms Zanele Mabaso
Ms Naledi Maponopono
Mr Courtney Edwards
Ms Lusanda Luwaca
Ms Hlathikazi Beni
Ms Busisiwe Seabe
Ms Thando Gumede
Ms Shaeera Kalla (virtual interview)
Mr Micarlo Malan
Ms Nompumelelo Mpatha

Refer to audio for candidate responses.

Question 1
Ms Gillion asked the candidate why s/he applied and why s/he believed they are the right candidate. The candidate must also highlight participation in youth structures in the community or nationally.

Question 2
Ms Masika (ANC) asked the candidate to elaborate on the functions of the NYDA Board in terms of its Act.

Question 3
Ms N Ntlangwini (EFF) asked what the candidate would do to curb political interference in the NYDA Board, if appointed.

Question 4
Ms A Maleka (ANC) asked the candidate how s/he would ensure good governance in the NYDA if appointed.

Question 5
Mr M Bara (DA, Gauteng) said that the country is confronted by the deadly Covid-19 virus and in the face of the pandemic we are experiencing increasing levels of unemployment. What can you do, if appointed, to ensure that young people’s lives are changed?

Question 6
Ms T Mgweba (ANC) asked how the candidate would ensure that the NYDA Board adheres to the principles of the NYDA Act.

The meeting adjourned.



 

 

 

 

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