Election of Co-Chairpersons; Committee Programme

Meeting report

Election of the Committee Co-Chairpersons
The Secretary of the Committee, requested the Committee to, in terms of Joint Rule 140, elect Chairpersons from the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

She called for nominations for a Co-Chairperson from the National Assembly.

Mr M Johnson (ANC) was nominated, seconded and elected as the Co-Chairperson from the National Assembly, without any dissension from the Committee.

She called for nominations for a Co-Chairperson from the National Council of Provinces

Ms F Mazibuko (Gauteng) was nominated, seconded and elected as the Co-Chairperson from the National Council of Provinces, without any dissension from the Committee.

Co-Chairperson Johnson thanked the Committee and expressed appreciation for the confidence that the Committee had shown in electing Ms Mazibuko and himself to guide and steer the process of the election of the Board.

Draft Committee Programme for the Recruitment process
Co-Chairperson Johnson said that the House was informed by resolution that by 19 March 2009, they were expected to have finalised the whole process of placing the advertisement, short-listing candidates and conducting interviews. The Act stated that seven members had to be appointed for the implementation of the Act itself.

Co-Chairperson Mazibuko stated that the Committee had been called upon to ensure assistance with the appointment of Board members. The advertisement had been circulated amongst Committee Members. The advertisement called for nominations for members who could serve on the Board.

Co-Chairperson Mazibuko stated that the nominee had to be a South African citizen who complied with any requirements prescribed in the national legislation, in particular the National Development Agency Act. The nominee was required to possess suitable qualifications and expertise in the area of youth.

Members were busy campaigning for their political parties but had to ensure that ordinary people in rural areas got access to this information. Co-Chairperson Mazibuko emphasised that it was not only the Sunday newspapers that were accessible to young people, and newspapers such as the Daily Sun, Sowetan and other such newspapers had to be used to broaden access to the advertisement, including the medium of the radio.
 
The Committee anticipated placing the advertisement on the 18 February 2009, with a closing date in the region of 28 February 2009. Short-listing was expected to take place in the first week of March, including the call for interviews.

Co-Chairperson Mazibuko emphasised that Members had not been given much latitude in terms of the time period allowed for the programme, and were therefore expected to work longer hours to ensure that all process involved in recruitment were rigorously followed and adhered to.

Mr F Van Heerden (FF+) asked if the list of short-listed candidates could be forwarded to Committee Members timeously for review. He asked to be excused to attend another meeting.

Co-Chair Mazibuko assured Mr Van Heerden that he would get all the information on time, and asked Members to forward their email addresses, home address and P.O box numbers, to the Secretary to ensure that they got all the information on time.

A Member stated that research needed to be done to see which radio stations young people listened to, and should cover all the different geographic areas. The Member also felt that political councillors should also have access to the advertisement, and this should be investigated.

Ms H Matlanyane (Limpopo) said that constituency offices in rural areas played an important role, and should be utilised to ensure that the youth in rural areas were aware of the advertisement and the process.

A Member said that the Committee should remember to put the advertisements in the Afrikaans newspapers as well.

Ms T Sunduza (ANC) asked if it was possible to approach the controverisal SABC, to come on board to flight the advertisement during a programme like ‘Generations’, because it was popular with young people and timing was crucial for this process.

Ms S Lebenya (IFP) asked for clarity on the ages of the young people being targeted, since this was not indicated in the advertisement.

Mr D Gamede (KZN) said that the importance of the electronic media should be taken very seriously, not only by this Committee, but by Parliament as a whole.

Mr B Magwanishe (ANC) said that the age limits for youth in South Africa were between 14 and 35 years of age.

Co-Chair Johnson said that the advertisement would appear in the media before or by the 6 March 2009. The short-listing of proposed candidates was due to take place on the 11 March, the Committee hoped to conduct interviews on the 16 and 17 March 2009. The Committee would meet on the 18 of March for the deliberations on the outcome of the interviews and the finalisation of the process.

Co-Chairperson Johnson asked for guidance on the rule that stated that these matters had to go to the ATC first as a report, before they could be brought to the National Assembly for debate and/or recommendations.

Ms Phumla Nyamza, Parliamentary Committee Control Secretary, said that the Committee could apply for the suspension of the three day rule.

Mr Magwanishe said that he was under the impression that the three day rule applied to Bills. He added that it was important that the Committee completed the recruitment process by 18 March 2009 because the NCOP was sitting on 19 March and the programme was very tight.

Co-Chairperson Johnson proposed that the short-listing process could be done on 9 March ; the interviews between 12 and 13 March and deliberations about possible candidates on 16 March.

Mr G Morgan (DA) asked if it was possible to ask applicants in the initial advertisement, to avail themselves for interviews on one of the three suggested days.

Co-Chairperson Johnson summarised the process: short-listing would be done on 9 March; interviews on 12 and 13 March and deliberations about candidates and the finalisation of the process on 16 March 2009.

The meeting was adjourned.