Two in line to head youth agency

FORMER National Youth Development Agency chairperson Yershen Pillay, who is also the national chairperson of the Young Communist League (YCL), and ANC Youth League deputy president Desmond Moela have emerged as the frontrunners to head the NYDA.

The ANCYL and YCL backed their leaders to take over as chairperson of the NYDA.

The joint ad hoc committee into the NYDA will today begin with the process of appointing a new board. It will recommend seven candidates to President Jacob Zuma. Fourteen candidates will be interviewed by the committee from today.

Other candidates for the board include Kenny Morolong, who served as deputy chairperson of the NYDA, and Zandile Majozi, another former board member.

This is a second attempt at appointing the board after last year’s proceedings failed over the eligibility of certain candidates.

Morolong was initially removed as a candidate after it emerged that he did not have a post-matric qualification, which is no longer an issue.

Last year, allegations emerged that Parliament had relaxed the eligibility requirements for candidates to accommodate Moela, who hadn’t completed a three-year tertiary education.

According to this CV, Moela only holds a supply chain management certificate and is pursuing a diploma in public management.

In 2016, all that was required for prospective board candidates was to be South African citizens and to comply with the NYDA Act, which speaks of the roles and requirements of board members.

Yesterday, YCL national spokesperson Molaodi Wa Sekake reiterated their call for a chairperson to be appointed based on their level of experience and qualifications.

Mlondi Mkhize, the ANCYL national spokesperson, said they were still of the view that Moela should be appointed chairperson, but insisted that they respect processes that are to follow and would await Zuma’s decision.