Western Cape Liquor Authority Board: Interviews

Meeting report

The Chairperson said that there would be interviews for the vacancy on the WCLA Board. The Committee had the questions used in the previous interviews and had sought permission to use them again. He noted Ms Bans' voice condition and asked if she was comfortable with asking interview questions.

Ms A Bans (ANC) replied that she would be very happy if the Chairperson could ask the questions. She was present in the meeting but was not feeling well.

The Chairperson proposed that the Committee agree to alternate the asking of questions among Members who were able to speak.

The Committee agreed to the proposal.

The Chairperson noted Mr G Pretorius (DA) and Mr F Christians (ACDP) had submitted an apology.
Mr C Fry (DA) as the party alternative was present. He reminded colleagues of the rules for virtual meetings including muting when not speaking and raising one's electronic hand as a point of order to get the Chairperson's attention.

Interviews would take place today and the following day for the Western Cape Liquor Authority Board which played a significant role in the provincial government's work, particularly for economic opportunities and harm reduction as part of the Western Cape safety plan. The interviews were conducted in accordance with the Western Cape Liquor Act.

The Chairperson said that all sessions would be conducted via Microsoft Teams for 20 minutes each, with interpretation services available as per the Western Cape Provincial Parliament (WCPP) rules. The candidates listed for interviews over the next two days were read out. Only one had been rescheduled.

After confirming if all Members were satisfied with the questions, he expressed concern about the screen visuals and inquired if other Members could see the questions.

Ms D Baartman (DA) reported that while the questions were not visible on the Microsoft Teams screen, she had them open on SharePoint through the link provided. She confirmed that the Procedural Officer had uploaded them, and she could see the questions on SharePoint.

Interviews
For each interview, the Chairperson extended a warm welcome to the candidate, introducing himself and indicating his role as the session's chair. He outlined the session structure, allocating 20 minutes per candidate. Each Member would pose a question and their responses would be noted. They were encouraged to seek clarification if needed, and Members had the option to ask follow-up questions for clarity. Additionally, candidates would have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session.

After the interview, the Chairperson thanked the candidates for their comprehensive responses  and insights. He explained that interviews would take place over two days. After the interviews, the Committee would deliberate. If further communication was needed post-interview, it would be either from the Committee or the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety which oversees the WCLA Board. After deliberation, the Committee would make recommendations to the Minister of Community Safety and Police Oversight, who would then handle the appointment process. They were thanked for their availability to serve on the WCLA Board.

See video for responses to interview questions

Candidate 1: Mr Claude Bassuday
Ms Baartman posed the first question asking about his motivation for applying to the Board given his previous board experiences.

Mr C Fry (DA) asked about the expertise he would bring to the Board.

The Chairperson asked his views on the current major challenges facing the WCLA.

Ms Baartman asked what the main responsibilities of a well-functioning WCLA Board are.

The Chairperson addressed the Members, asking if there were any questions from their side. He thanked the Members for the smooth process, aside from some technical issues, noting that his screen was now functioning properly without the need for a secondary device.

Acknowledging Mr Bassid’s availability for the interview and his current commitments, the Chairperson thanked him for his service on other boards and anticipated that the WCLA Board would keep him occupied. He assured Mr Bassid that if further information was required, the Procedural Officer would be in touch, and the Department of Community Safety and Police Oversight would also communicate with him.

The Chairperson concluded by thanking Mr Bassid for time and cooperation.

The Chairperson asked Members about their preference on the deliberation process, if they were content to hold discussions until the conclusion of all interviews or if they preferred to deliberate after each candidate.

Ms Baartman agreed with the Chairperson's proposal that the Committee keep the deliberations until the end.

Candidate 2: Dr Allen Grootboom
Ms A Cassiem (EFF) asked why the candidate was reapplying for the position on the board for a second term, considering he had served before.

Ms Baartman inquired about the major challenges faced by the WCLA. Secondly, she asked about the efficiencies the candidate believed he could contribute to the board.

Mr Fry asked about the expertise the candidate would bring to the board.

The Chairperson asked about the main responsibilities of a well-functioning WCLA Board.

Following the candidate's response, he thanked him for his comprehensive answer and noted the upcoming reviews of the Western Cape Community Safety Act and its regulations. Such reviews were important for the Seventh Administration.

The Chairperson appreciated the candidate's willingness to start promptly and commended his continued dedication to his role on the WCLA.

Candidate 3: Mr Andre du Plessis
Ms Cassiem asked about his motivation for applying to the position on the Board.

Ms Baartman followed with a question about the major challenges facing the WCLA and the efficiencies Mr du Plessis could contribute.

Mr Fry then continued with hisquestion asking regarding the expertise Mr du Plessis would bring to the board.

The Chairperson acknowledged Mr du Plessis comprehensive responses and asked him about the main responsibilities of a well-functioning WCLA Board. Following Mr du Plessis’ answer, he checked with the Members for any follow-up questions, to which there were none.

He then thanked Mr du Plessis’ time and insightful answers, the Chairperson assured him that if the Committee needed anything further, they would contact him through Mr Matthews. He explained that communication about the process outcomes would come from the Minister's office in the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety.

Candidate 4: Mr Stephen Harrison
Ms Cassiem inquired why Mr Harrison was applying for the position as a member of the board.

Ms Baartman questioned Mr Harrison about the major challenges of the WCLA and the efficiencies he would contribute to the board.

Mr Fry asked Mr Harrison about the expertise he would bring to the Board.

The Chairperson acknowledged Mr Harrison's extensive experience and asked about the main responsibilities of a well-functioning WCLA Board.

In response to a question from Mr Harrison on the term of office, the Chairperson stated that the Office of the Minister would communicate the exact dates, mentioning that the vacancies would arise at the end of the month.

The Procedural Officer added that the term of office ends on 31 March 2024 and the appointment is likely to occur in early April 2024, depending on the Minister's discretion, given the upcoming elections.

Candidate 5: Mr Shawn Coetzee
Ms Cassiem asked why the candidate was applying for the position on the Board.

Ms Baartman asked about the major challenges of the WCLA and the efficiencies the candidate would contribute to the Board.

Mr Fry noted the candidate's vast experience at the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) and in the logistics field. He expressed comfort in knowing that the PPECB had capable individuals. He asked about the expertise the candidate would bring to the Board.

The Chairperson asking about the main responsibilities of a well-functioning WCLA Board.

[Break]

Candidate 6: Ms Solichini Pillay
Ms Cassiem asked why Ms Pillay was applying for the position as a member of the Board.

Ms Baartman asked about the major challenges of the WCLA and the efficiencies Ms Pillay could contribute to the Board.

Mr Fry asked about the expertise she would bring to the Board.

The Chairperson asked about the main responsibilities of a well-functioning WCLA Board.

Ms Baartman acknowledged Ms Pillay's wealth of knowledge and experience. She inquired about Ms Pillay's current location in KZN and the plans for relocation and permanent residency in the Western Cape should she be appointed.

The Chairperson expressed interest in Ms Pillay's involvement in a commission investigating police inefficiency in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. He asked about opportunities for closer collaboration between the liquor authority and the police to combat illegal liquor sales and associated harms.

Candidate 7: Ms Chuma Fani
Ms Cassiem asked why she was applying for the position as a member of the Board.

Ms Baartman inquired about the major challenges of the WCLA and the efficiencies Ms Fani could contribute to the Board.

Mr Fry asked about the other expertise she would bring to the Board, noting her background in risk mitigation.

The Chairperson asked about the main responsibilities of a well-functioning WCLA Board.

Candidate 8: Mr Phillip Ragwale
Ms Cassiem asked why the candidate was applying for the position as a member of the Board.

Ms Baartman raised her question about the major challenges of the WCLA Board and the efficiencies the candidate would contribute.

Mr Fry posed his question about the expertise the candidate would bring to the Board.

The Chairperson asked about the main responsibilities of a well-functioning WCLA Board. He then checked about the candidate's current employment status as mentioned in his CV.

Ms Baartman inquired about the requirement for permanent residency in the Western Cape and asked about the candidate's plans for relocation, should he be appointed.

The Chairperson reiterated the urgency of the matter and explained the process of making recommendations to the Minister after the interviews and deliberations. He mentioned the end date of the current Board and anticipated the Ministry contacting the candidate soon.

Candidate 9: Mr Thembelani Mangena
Ms Cassiem presented the first question asking why the candidate was applying for the position.

Ms Baartman asked about the major challenges of the WCLA and the efficiencies the candidate could contribute.

Mr Fry inquired about the expertise the candidate would bring to the Board.

The Chairperson asked about the main responsibilities of a well-functioning WCLA Board.

Ms Baartman followed up with two questions, one substantive and one technical, about the candidate's travel plans from the United Kingdom if appointed and on the review of additional revenue streams for the WCLA.

The Chairperson acknowledged Ms Baartman's question noting that addressing the challenge of reliance on grant funding was important. He also mentioned the tight timeline for the appointment process due to the expiration of the current Board's term.

Discussion
The Chairperson announced the end of the day's interviews. He sought confirmation from the Procedural Officer about the next day's schedule, which was affirmed, with a five-minute gap between interviews.

The Procedural Officer provided additional details about the schedule and the scoring process, on a scale of 1 to 5 and potentially adding criteria for scoring. He clarified the process for calculating scores and shared his plan for organising the scoring sheet.

The Chairperson reminded Members of the criteria for the Board and asked for their opinion on whether to score the candidates immediately or in the morning.

Ms Bans indicated her preference for scoring in the morning, which was echoed by Ms Baartman and Mr Fry.

The Chairperson clarified the scoring process and consolidating sub-scores into one final score.

The Procedural Officer suggested determining the order of scoring either that day or the next morning, emphasizing its relevance for efficiency.

The Chairperson proposed going in alphabetical order for scoring, thanked Members for their time. He acknowledging the workload ahead.

The meeting was adjourned.