Eastern Cape Premier Nosimo Balindlela has sacked provincial youth commission chairperson Mlungisi Lumka and youth commissioner Nonkuselo Nkayitshana, her office said on Monday.
”It is the premier’s considered view that the working relationship with these commissioners has irretrievably broken down as the result of the circumstances surrounding the publication of various media articles and advertisements by the commission,” her office said.
The articles and advertisements apparently appeared in the East London-based Daily Dispatch newspaper and Port Elizabeth’s Herald from May last year.
Balindlela’s spokesperson Masiza Mazizi said the articles and advertisements amounted to fruitless and wasteful expenditure and undermined the premier and the provincial government.
Lumka and Nkayitshana were suspended in June and a third commissioner, Nqaba Ntswhlana, was found to be over-age and dismissed — commissioners must be younger than 36.
Various youth formations in the province were then consulted in terms of the province’s Promotion of Youth Affairs Act, after which the premier decided to axe the two.
”The positions of all three youth commissioners are vacant and the filling of these vacancies will now proceed.” — Sapa