Nothing can be further from the truth. The DA members on the committee were wholly unprepared for this process. [Interjections.] They were divided amongst themselves, with the hon Van den Berg championing one name and the hon Mazibuko another. In fact, it was the ANC that advised them to caucus among themselves so that they could come up with a unified list of candidates. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
The ANC was clear from the beginning: We did not want to politicise the process of selecting members for the interim board. We thought it inexpedient to make political appointments. [Interjections.] Instead, we looked for eminent personalities with a combination of sound corporate management, and financial, legal and media skills.
The committee received proposals of very strong candidates for the interim board. It spent over four hours trying to reach consensus on five candidates. I am pleased to report that initially all the political parties on the committee were able to agree on the names of four of the five candidates. These were Ms Irene Charnley, Ms Libby Lloyd, Adv Leslie Sedibe, and a former member of this House, Ms Suzanne Vos.
It is a real pity that we had to divide the committee on the names of Prof Phillip Mtimkulu and Prof Mamphela Ramphele, as both are highly regarded academics with impeccable credentials. In the end, the committee voted in favour of Prof Mtimkulu.