Three former Nelson Mandela Bay councillors, a lawyer and three businesswomen are some of the people who could be appointed to the Mandela Bay Development Agency’s board of directors.
That is if the council approves the municipality’s economic development department’s nominations of Mxolisi Moolman, Vuyani Dyantyi, Mike Kwenaite, Glenda Perumal, Khwezi Ntshanyana, Mandlakazi Skefile and Pinky Kondlo.
The term of the MBDA board ends on April 21.
The list of names is in the mayoral committee meeting agenda, expected to be held next Wednesday.
It was meant to be held last week, but it was postponed to this week Wednesday.
That meeting, too, was postponed.
Should the mayoral committee meet next Wednesday, it was also expected to discuss the pay of board members, mayor Mongameli Bobani said.
The pay of MBDA board members was budgeted at R700,000 for the current financial year.
The decision to pay board members was taken by the council in 2018.
Members are paid per sitting, with the chair getting R10,000 a sitting.
Bobani said on Wednesday his predecessors had made a big mistake when the council – which had the DA-led coalition in the majority – agreed to pay board members.
Economic development portfolio head Queenie Pink said the nominated individuals had skills in legal matters, economic development, business management, corporate administration, community economic development and project management.
“They have various expertise in different fields and possess knowledge and skills that are required to provide a strategic guidance and oversight over the MBDA,” she said.
“They will have to ensure that the agency is steered towards a sustainable future by adopting sound ethical, legal governance and financial management as well as to ensure that the agency has adequate resources to advance its vision and mission.”
Deputy mayor Thsonono Buyeye, who chairs the MBDA member representative committee that was responsible for selecting the names, said they might consider extending the term of the present board.
They would then add the nominated seven to fill the seven vacancies that existed.
“This is a decision that our committee has taken and these names will be taken before the council at the end of March,” Buyeye said.
“We will still decide whether we extend the term or we say people must reapply.
“We might even readvertise and tell people to reapply.”
Pink said Moolman works for Legal Aid South Africa while Dyantyi was a former councillor who served on the economic development portfolio committee.
Kwenaite and Ntshanyana were also former councillors.
Skefile was the former CEO of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism and Kondlo and Perumal were involved in business.
Bobani said the shortlisted individuals met all the requirements.
“A lot of people either left or resigned, and we are now filling those vacancies.
“Those men and women are capable, let’s leave them to start work and not determine their futures.
“We need people who are going to work and assist in doing the mandate of the municipality and do the job properly.
“As the municipality, we don’t want people to suffer in terms of the services that they are supposed to get because of lazy people.”
Asked if they would rescind the decision to pay the board, Bobani said: “We don’t agree with paying the MBDA board.
“The DA [and then coalition partners] made a big mistake when they approved that.
“When you advertise calling for interested people you don’t say they will be paid R40,000 and so on.
“Also there might have been a number of people who might have not applied because they were under the impression that they would not be paid.
“Now you are paying them – it is a conflict of interest.”
Buyeye, however, said the board would be paid until the council decided otherwise.
“The investigations done and the report presented to council necessitated that the board be paid due to the fiduciary duties that they carry as board members and the fact that they can’t even do business with the municipality,” Buyeye said.
MBDA spokesperson Luvuyo Bangazi said the board had been operating as an eight-member board without any hindrance.
“Currently there are eight board directors, with three having resigned for various reasons.
“The board has been implementing its oversight role without any hindrance, meetings are held, committees sit and resolutions are taken.
“However, it would be a welcome addition to have members with skills in human resources, built environment and legal.”
Bangazi said the board would also welcome initiatives to improve the gender balance.