More than a month after a recommendation from the National Assembly, President Jacob Zuma on Friday announced the appointment of three new board members to the  Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA).

The three new board members are Ronald Lamola, Martina Della-Togna and Nombeko Mbava.

Lamola, a former ANC Youth League leader, is a member of the finance committee at the Tshwane University of Technology, Della-Togna is a former multimedia manager at Parliament, while Mbava serves on the board of the South Africa Monitoring and Evaluation Association.

MPs from the opposition Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters rejected Lamola’s name because of his political background, but the ruling party used its majority in the National Assembly to include him on the list of three additional board members.

The MDDA has been beset by infighting with only three board members having being present at one stage, making it inquorate, and having been at loggerheads with acting chief executive Donald Liphoko.

The infighting, then Communications Minister, Ayando Dlodlo, said in September, had led to the MDDA having performed dismally.

The board now consists of eight members.

Last month, Zuma added two new members to the board. Tasneem Carrim joined the board as the communications department’s representative while Nkgakga Monare of Tiso Blackstar Group, formerly known as the Times Media Group, was appointed to represent the commercial print sector.