Deputy Speaker, Deputy President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and colleagues, it is indeed a great pleasure to present this report on the consideration for appointment of the Media Development and Diversity Agency, MDDA, board member.
As we all know, the MDDA was established in terms of the Media Development and Diversity Agency Act of 2002. It was given the responsibility to transform media in general, both broadcast media and print media. However, we took note that broadcasting is regulated, whilst print media has a self- regulatory mechanism. As a matter of fact, this led to the unequal or uneven development in transformation in respect of the two spectrums of media.
In terms of the Media Development and Diversity Agency Act, Parliament is to recommend the appointment of a board member to the President. After approval by the President, such board member can be appointed. MDDA has nine board members; six are appointed by Parliament and the other three are appointed by the President in consultation with both print and broadcasting media as a sector.
In terms of the requirements and processes that Parliament must follow, the first process is to allow the participation of the public in the nomination process; transparency and openness; and the publication of shortlisted candidates for appointment with due regard to subsection 4 and section 5 of the Media Development and Diversity Agency Act. I would like to take this opportunity to take you through the process that led to the recommendation of the person's name that we will be putting to this House for recommendation to the President for appointment. The vacancy was referred to the committee on 14 August 2013. Thereafter, the committee advertised the vacant board position in the weekend of 8 September 2013, for which the closing date was Friday, 4 October 2013. All in all the committee received 28 nominations for the MDDA board. On 31 October 2013 the committee met and shortlisted the following candidates: Ms Noxolo Mtana, Ms Nosipho Kota, Mr Roland Williams, Mr Howard Plaatjes and Mr Ratha Ramatlhape.
On 5 November 2013 the committee interviewed all five candidates. After the interviews it recommended that Mr Roland Williams be appointed to the MDDA board. However, during that process some members of the committee raised the issue that the member recommended was at one time suspended from his employment. After receiving that query, I investigated the matter and accordingly referred it back to the member who raised the matter. Indeed, Mr Roland Williams was suspended, but no charge had been laid against him. He was suspended for more than three months and thereafter the suspension was lifted without a single charge indicating why he was suspended. As the ANC, we felt that we were comfortable with the candidate, because nothing untoward was found relating to this matter after having received the full report from the relevant bargaining council. I must take this opportunity to thank all committee members, the support staff and everyone who participated in the process. If this House accepts our recommendation and appoints Mr Roland Williams, I wish to take this opportunity to wish him all the best in his new role. We also hope that he is going to work well with the other MDDA board members. I would like to commend this report to this House for consideration and adoption. I thank you. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
Question put: That the House recommend Mr Roland Williams for appointment to the Media Development and Diversity Agency Board.
Declarations of vote:
Hon colleagues, I live in hope that one day the ANC will recognise that there are many appropriately skilled and committed South Africans who can contribute ideas, experience and enthusiasm to help our government entities fulfil their mandates.
Once again the Portfolio Committee on Communications has rejected the best candidate for the vacancy on the MDDA board in favour of an ANC activist who had no fresh ideas to offer on how, for example, community media can become self-sustaining and survive in economically marginal communities. His only idea was to ask the Treasury for more money. The ANC members of the committee refused to enter into discussion on the merits or demerits of their choice or that proposed by the DA. They came to the interview and deliberation process with their choice cast in concrete. The candidate chosen by the DA had extensive experience in small mainstream and new media platforms. He posited ideas, for example, of how to promote financial sustainability and to improve and control printing costs. His ideas were practical and borne of experience that stretch back to his years as an antiapartheid student activist to senior management in mainstream media. But he was rejected in favour of the candidate whose main attributes on his CV were his ANC credentials and experience in local government public relations.
Many times during the past year I have stood before this House to alert hon members that our failure to appoint the best, able and most suitably qualified candidates to the boards of state entities condemns them to perpetual underperformance if not failure. If this practice continues, we might as well change the wording of our advertisement for people to step forward to say, only ANC cadres need apply. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament, we remember that the main objection from the portfolio committee was that the candidate that the ANC preferred had actually been suspended for a long time. The chairperson did explain that. He was suspended, but like in many cases in the country, there were no grounds for his suspension. We ultimately thought that because of the skills that are needed in the area of activity and also the fact that he comes from one of the minority groups, it is appropriate that we appoint him.
We must remember that communication is something that we can't play games with. It is one of the infrastructural needs of the country, which is a pillar of the economy that must address poverty and unemployment. We have planned it and it needs to be established. As you will remember, the communications, roads and rail, electricity, water intrastructure, and all those other infrastructural facilities, are needed as they are pillars of the economy. I have said that the economy must address unemployment and social needs in the country. This is a very important facet of social development and it is not something that you can play games with.
As we have all emphasised, like our chair, we have appointed this particular candidate because we think he has the necessary skills that are needed and also because he comes from the minority group. We cannot entertain any other reason based on an unfounded suspension. Therefore, we would like this candidate to be supported by the House. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Question agreed to (Democratic Alliance and Independent Democrats dissenting).
Mr Roland Williams accordingly recommended for appointment to the Media Development and Diversity Agency Board.