Court strikes off the roll urgent application to stop Parliament processing appointment of new board for National Youth Development Agency
The Western Cape High today struck off the roll an urgent application from Mr Letlhogonolo Modisane Maimane to stop Parliament continuing with further steps to appoint a new seven-member Board for the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).
Mr Maimane was one of more than 1 000 applicants for the new, seven-member NYDA Board.
In his urgent application to the Court, Mr Maimane cited National Assembly Speaker Ms Thandi Modise, as the first respondent, and the co-chairpersons of the sub-committee of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, as the second respondent.
Parliament opposed Mr Letlhogonolo Modisane Maimane application on the basis that it was not urgent, among other things.
In an answering affidavit for the respondents, Ms Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba (co-chair of the subcommittee with Ms Maurencia Gillion) outlined the sequence of events preceding Mr Maimane’s urgent application.
The closing date for applications was 9 April. On 8 April, Parliament received Mr Maimane’s application and recorded it as number 690. Parliament published all the names of the applicants on its website from 18 to 24 May.
On 27 May, Parliament, in terms of section 9(3)(c) of the NYDA Act published the names of the 40 shortlisted candidates. Mr Maimane was not shortlisted. The public had until 5 June to comment on the shortlisted candidates and the subcommittee then began public interviews with all 40.
On 18 June, Mr Maimane instructed his attorneys to issue a letter of demand against the subcommittee. On 22 June, the subcommittee responded to Mr Maimane, making it clear that it would not agree to his demands. On 28 June, Mr Maimane launched his present application with no justification for his delay in doing so.
In the circumstances, the presiding Judge agreed with Parliament that the applicant had failed to make a case of urgency.
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