Lungisa, who remains close and loyal to expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, was nominated by the ANCYL and his omission might be seen as a way of getting rid of Malema’s allies.
Lungisa’s name did not make the final list following intense interviews by a multiparty joint adhoc committee, which is to present its recommendations to the National Assembly on Tuesday when the nominated candidates is expected to be approved.
The board comprises seven people, most of whom are aligned to the ANC. The recommended names are former Sasco leader Xoliswa Bambiso; deputy national chairperson of the IFP Youth Brigade Zandile Majozi; ANCYL leaders Muthupi Modiba, Kenny Morolong, Maropene Ntuli, Young Communist League leader Yershen Pillay and Nyalleng Potloana.
Once these names are endorsed by the National Assembly list will be sent to President Jacob Zuma for ratification.
With the latest development, it remains to be seen if NYDA CEO Steven Ngobeni and chief operations officer Magdaline Moonsamy will survive as they are also Malema allies.
The NYDA has been shrouded in controversy under Lungisa’s leadership, with questions raised about the agency staff close links with the ANCYL and huge amount of the agency’s budget being spent on salaries.
There was outrage when national Treasury announced it would allocate R1.2-billion to the agency over three years, with political parties such as the Democratic Alliance charging that it was pouring money down the drain as the agency had failed to deliver.
The agency was set up in 2009 following the merger between the National Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund.
Since its inception, there has been controversy around how the agency was not helping young people but wasting money.
It raised eyebrows in December 2010 after it spent R100-million on a youth festival which was later dubbed the “kissing festival”.
In May Lungisa told Parliament that the agency would not fulfil its goals unless it was allocated at least R950-million a year.
