The appointment of 76-year-old Barney Pityana as the National Lotteries Commission chairperson has set tongues wagging, with political parties and young people rejecting the appointment.
THE APPOINTMENT of 76-year-old Barney Pityana as the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) chairperson has set tongues wagging, with a number of political parties and young people rejecting the appointment.
This comes after the Cabinet announced on Monday that it had approved the appointment of a new chairperson to NLC and that the approval was decided upon during Cabinet’s meeting that took place last Thursday.
#FeesMustFall activist and now a member of the Patriotic Alliance Bonginkosi Khanyile accused the former liberation fighters of using their political credentials to enrich themselves at the expense of the youth.
“There’s a pattern among the elders who think we owe them something as a country. There are many young capable people who have the necessary skills to lead that NLC, they should have selected and appointed someone young to chair the commission, but the Cabinet, led by pensioners, saw it fit to deploy an elder because they have no regard for young people.
“The elderly are taking care of themselves and they seem to think the country owes them, this is why people like (Minister of Police) Bheki Cele and (Minister of Public Enterprises) Pravin Gordhan have some sense of entitlement.
“Our elders may have fought for our liberation but now they are doing everything to ensure that the young generation is not liberated. They feed on our resources and when we dare ask for accountability, they tell us about struggle credentials,” he said.
The EFF on Tuesday issued a statement rejecting the appointment of Pityana and accused the Department of Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel of attempting to position his friends and business associates to win a lottery licence that is due for renewal in July next year.
“It is an objective fact that Pityana was the least preferred candidate among the parliamentary recommendations for the position.
“It is an irrational appointment, which falls in line with a tendency to ignore recommendations by democratically and constitutionally established institutions in South Africa, in favour of a factional agenda of capture.
“The EFF appeals to Pityana’s conscience, if there is anything left of it, to refuse to be used in an attempt to further the capture and destruction of institutions to serve a factional agenda
“We appeal to Pityana not to be part and parcel of the hatred of youth which characterises the ruling elite in South Africa.
“As an elder, Pityana must have a sense of self-introspection, and not allow his legacy to be tainted by what seems to be a selfish attempt at wealth accumulation and greed, at the expense of promoting young leadership within critical spheres of society,” the EFF added.
Chief leader of the Land Party Gcobani Ndzongana also weighed in, rejecting Pityana’s appointment and said that the country had many young capable leaders that are fit to lead.
“We respect Barney Pityana but he is not the right choice. We must also be careful not to install those who will serve political elites’ interests and disregard the majority interests of ordinary South Africans,” said Ndzongana.
