ATC200715: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Communications on the filling of four vacancies on the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) Board, dated 14 July 2020

Communications and Digital Technologies

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Communications on the filling of four vacancies on the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) Board, dated 14 July 2020

 

The Portfolio Committee on Communications, having considered the request from the Minister in the Presidency: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in respect of the four MDDA Board vacancies, reports as follows:

 

A letter dated 4 November 2019 was received from the Acting Speaker of the National Assembly, informing the Committee that he had received a letter from the Minister in the Presidency: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, communicating the existence of vacancies on the Board of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), and requesting the Assembly to initiate a process of nominating and recommending candidates for appointment by the President in line with section 4(1)(a) of the MDDA Act, 2002 (Act No 14 of 2002).

 

On Tuesday, 4 February 2020, the Committee met to consider the letters from the Minister in the Presidency and the Acting Speaker of the National Assembly and resolved: to establish a Subcommittee consisting for seven members based on proportional representation in the National Assembly to oversee the appointment process of the four candidates and report to it; and that the Committee secretariat should proceed with the process of publishing an advertisement in the media calling for the nomination of persons to fill the four vacancies on the MDDA Board.

 

The MDDA Board advertisement was published in all eleven official languages in two national newspapers, two regional newspapers and seven community media newspapers. One hundred and twenty-six nominations were received by the closing date.  

 

On 21 May 2020, the Subcommittee met to consider the criteria and skills required to fill the four vacancies and later  on the same day the Committee unanimously agreed with the recommendation of the Subcommittee to shortlist a maximum number of 20 candidates  and unanimously resolved that the Subcommittee should interview the following candidates: Ms Lichelle Barry, Ms Sibusisiwe Chimombe, Ms Marina Clarke, Ms Bernedette Muthien, Mr Luzuko Buku, Mr Edwin Naidu, Mr Lionel Adendorf, Ms Nomfundo Kakaza, Dr Ayanda Vilakazi, Ms Blaise Koetsie, Mr Simphiwe Mbabane, Ms Brenda Leonard, Mr Qondile Khedama, Ms Leah Khumalo, Mr Dumile Matheza, Mr Hlengani Mathebula, Ms Nikelwa Tengimfene, Ms Rosie Motene, Ms Nolitha Pietersen and Ms Andiswa Ngcingwana.

 

The Subcommittee conducted virtual interviews with all the candidates over a period of four days from 26 to 29 May 2020. The Human Resources Unit of Parliament assisted with the qualification verification of candidates and the State Security Agency (SSA) with personnel suitability checks. At the time of the adoption of the report, the SSA results were still pending.

 

On 14 July 2020, the Subcommittee met and unanimously agreed to recommend that the Committee approve the following candidates for appointment to the MDDA Board in terms of section 4(1)(a) of the MDDA Act, 2002 (Act No 14 of 2002): Mr Hlengani Mathebula, Ms Brenda Leonard, Ms Andiswa Ngcingwana and Ms Marina Clarke. On the same day, the Committee met to consider the recommendation of the Subcommittee on the appointment of four candidates to the MDDA Board.

 

The Committee commended the Subcommittee on the work done in the selection process and noted that the four candidates were all suitable and possessed the relevant skills to serve on the MDDA Board.

 

The Committee unanimously recommends that the National Assembly approve its recommendation for the President to appoint the following four candidates to serve on the MDDA Board in terms of the section 4(1)(a) of the MDDA Act, 2002 (Act No 14 of 2002): Mr Hlengani Mathebula, Ms Brenda Leonard, Ms Andiswa Ngcingwana and Ms Marina Clarke.

 

Report to be considered.