Concerns over cyber bullying cast shadow on NYDA board interviews

The portfolio committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has expressed its concerns with cyber-bullying meted out against some of the candidates who appeared before it for the interviews of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) board.

Last week, the committee conducted interviews with 19 aspirant candidates for the board.

Speaking during a meeting of the committee to score the interviewed candidates, chairperson Liezl van der Merwe noted that interviews of some of the candidates were reposted on social media and fun was made of some of the candidates deemed to have not performed well.

Van der Merwe said she found the ridiculing of some of the candidates on social media unfortunate.

“It amounts to cyber bullying. It goes against the spirit of what we wanted as this portfolio committee. We are here to give young people hands up and not to ridicule them,” she said.

Van der Merwe also said the ridiculing of the candidates would discourage people from participating in the interviews in the future.

“Our sole task was to find the most patriotic, the most passionate, the most skilled, and the most qualified to serve on the NYDA. We were privileged to interact with 19 candidates from all over the country,” she said.

She noted that the candidates possessed different skill sets with two individuals possessing PhD degrees while others were entrepreneurs, and youth development activists, among others.

During their meeting the parliamentarians publicly scored the candidates, whose names were not mentioned but referred to in code.

EFF MP Sihle Lonzi raised the issue of age for the appointment of candidates to the board as the NYDA Act provided that people could be appointed if they were aged between 18 and 35.

Lonzi said he understood that a candidate turning 35 could not be appointed to the board.

“One of the candidates turned 35 in February so perhaps as I give my scores in line with that Act I would like to seek guidance on that particular candidate,” he said.

The committee heard that two candidates were 34 when they applied for the board and turned 35 after being shortlisted in December for the interviews.

It was decided that a legal opinion would be sought on the matter.

Lonzi said the two candidates should be disqualified and to not allow a situation to recommend names to the President and the National Assembly of people who were already 35.

“When you appoint, someone must be below the age of 35,” he said.

But, Lonzi mentioned a name of one of the candidates when he gave his scores for all the candidates despite Van der Merwe earlier asking members not to do so in respect of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

ANC MP Tshiamo Tsotetsi said they were not meant to mention the names of candidates.

“There is vengeance towards a particular candidate, which is now beginning to be unbecoming,” Tsotetsi said, adding that he noted Lonzi had arrived at the meeting after the rules were laid down on the scoring of candidates.

Lonzi continued to ignore the decision on the committee when he asked to give again the scores of the candidates when he mentioned one of the candidates.

Van der Merwe raised her concern that Lonzi ignored a request not to name the candidate while at the same time raising issues around age in the appointment process

She said his conduct could cause legal trouble for the committee.

“We try to ensure this process serves young people,” said Van der Merwe.

The committee will reconvene after the scores of the candidate have been collated and a decision be made on those to be recommended to serve on the NYDA board and also receive the legal opinion on the age for appointment of aspirant candidates.

“In our next meeting we will table a full report for adoption. It will contain legal advice in terms of legal issue that was raised,” said Van der Merwe.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za