[rpd] RPD Digest, Vol 222, Issue 179

Thu Jul 23 06:45:26 UTC 2026

Hi Seun,

Mentorship and beginner materials could be useful, provided they remain optional and do not become a separate waiting room for unfamiliar or dissenting participants.

As you noted, many people learn by following and participating in the RPD itself. No one should first have to prove expertise or satisfy an established circle that their interest serves the “common good.”

The PDP should remain one open discussion. Participation may include questions, evidence, support, warning, or objection. It should not be divided into senior voices who decide and beginners who are sent elsewhere to learn.

Regards,
Nonhlanhla

________________________________
From: rpd-request at afrinic.net <rpd-request at afrinic.net>
Sent: Thursday, 23 July 2026 08:38:12
To: rpd at afrinic.net <rpd at afrinic.net>
Subject: RPD Digest, Vol 222, Issue 179

Send RPD mailing list submissions to
        rpd at afrinic.net

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
        https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
        rpd-request at afrinic.net

You can reach the person managing the list at
        rpd-owner at afrinic.net

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of RPD digest..."

Today's Topics:

   1. Re: RDP Discussion (Ben Roberts - AfriNIC)
   2. Re: RDP Discussion (Nonjabulo Sphilile)
   3. Re: RDP Discussion (Seun Ojedeji)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:16:43 +0200
From: Ben Roberts - AfriNIC <ben.roberts at afrinic.net>
To: Petronella NP <NPertuniaPetronella at outlook.com>
Cc: rpd at afrinic.net
Subject: Re: [rpd] RDP Discussion
Message-ID: <2A5EA893-CF14-4C5E-BA39-EDF1233C16AD at afrinic.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Noted and fully understood.
Sent from my iPhone

> On 23 Jul 2026, at 08:13, NP Petronella <NPertuniaPetronella at outlook.com> wrote:
>
> ?
> Dear Ben,
> You are drawing more from my reply than it said.
>
> This is a public policy forum. Responding to a point does not mean I am answering for Mandla, speaking for NRS, or clarifying anyone?s affiliation. Mandla can answer for himself. I challenged the assumption that a person?s employment automatically turns an individual contribution into an organisational position.
>
> Open participation means participants may engage with arguments wherever they appear in the discussion. Unless someone expressly claims authorisation to represent an organisation, their contribution should be treated as their own.
>
> Please do not convert ordinary participation into inferred affiliations or relationships. Let us return to the policy.
>
> Regards,
> Nonhlanhla
>
>
> From: Ben Roberts - AfriNIC <ben.roberts at afrinic.net>
> Sent: Thursday, 23 July 2026 08:08:40
> To: Petronella NP <NPertuniaPetronella at outlook.com>
> Cc: rpd at afrinic.net <rpd at afrinic.net>
> Subject: Re: [rpd] RDP Discussion
>
>> Nonhlanhla,
>>
> My mail was clearly and unequivocally addressed to Mandla asking him a valid question.
>
> It was not a general point for discussion, so there was no need to answer for him. But thanks for stepping in to clarify affiliations.  We now fully understand.
>
> Kind regards
> Ben
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>>> On 23 Jul 2026, at 07:51, NP Petronella <NPertuniaPetronella at outlook.com> wrote:
>>>
>> ?
>> Hi Ben,
>>
>> You certainly make a lot of assumptions about people.
>>
>> No, I do not speak for Mandla or NRS. I responded to a general point on a public mailing list. Supporting another participant?s argument does not create an affiliation, agency relationship, or shared identity.
>>
>> Mandla?s job title also does not mean every contribution he makes is an assigned organisational statement. Unless he expressly says he is authorised to represent NRS, his contribution is his own. You may ask Mandla about his capacity, but you should not invent one for either of us.
>>
>> That is the basic distinction between participation and representation. Please address the argument instead of constructing relationships between the people raising it.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Nonhlanhla
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Ben Roberts - AfriNIC <ben.roberts at afrinic.net>
>> Sent: Thursday, 23 July 2026 07:45:30
>> To: Petronella NP <NPertuniaPetronella at outlook.com>
>> Cc: rpd at afrinic.net <rpd at afrinic.net>
>> Subject: Re: [rpd] RDP Discussion
>>
>> Nonhlanhla,
>>
>> Can I assume you know Mandla and/or NRS well enough to speak on his or their behalf. ?
>>
>> He has clearly stated that he is a policy insights contributor at NRS. So if he then contributes policy insights, you can see why it appears that he is doing is assigned job for his employer ?
>>
>> Kind regards
>> Ben
>>
>> Previous message from Mandla?
>>
>> Good day,
>>
>> Mandla,Policy insights contributor at NRS.
>>
>> Regards
>> _______________________________________________
>> RPD mailing list
>> RPD at afrinic.net
>> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On 23 Jul 2026, at 07:36, NP Petronella <NPertuniaPetronella at outlook.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> ?
>>> Dear Ben,
>>>
>>> Mandla?s position is straightforward. AFRINIC?s PDP is open to anyone and imposes no qualification for participation. A contributor does not automatically represent their employer merely because an affiliation is known.
>>>
>>> Unless Mandla expressly states that he is authorised to speak for NRS, his contribution is his own. Employment is context, not a power of attorney.
>>>
>>> Assuming otherwise confuses participation with representation and suggests a misunderstanding of how an open PDP works. Please assess Mandla?s argument as Mandla?s argument.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Nonhlanhla
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.afrinic.net/pipermail/rpd/attachments/20260723/be4118ce/attachment-0001.html>

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:23:28 +0200
From: Nonjabulo Sphilile <nonjabulosphilile at gmail.com>
To: rpd at afrinic.net
Subject: Re: [rpd] RDP Discussion
Message-ID:
        <CAJwHbZMqmbPZwq1b=SE7R8-7nqHG6W5o191zU59Moo9CrgugGQ at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Dear Ben,

I believe in open participation. That means contributors speak for
themselves unless they expressly state that they are authorised to
represent an organisation.

Mandla?s affiliation with NRS provides context, not a mandate. Assuming
every employee speaks for their organisation confuses participation with
representation and turns an open PDP into a contest between institutions.

Please assess Mandla?s contribution as his own.

Regards,
Nonjabulo
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.afrinic.net/pipermail/rpd/attachments/20260723/a9c46b84/attachment-0001.html>

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:37:42 +0200
From: Seun Ojedeji <seun.ojedeji at gmail.com>
To: Frank Habicht <geier at geier.ne.tz>
Cc: rpd <rpd at afrinic.net>
Subject: Re: [rpd] RDP Discussion
Message-ID:
        <CAD_dc6jS82uE67CCtt9jdXgzVJUxqHr9u8kFRPRn_5kWVug7Dg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

----
Sent from my mobile
kindly excuse typos

On Thu, 23 Jul 2026, 7:46?am Frank Habicht, <geier at geier.ne.tz> wrote:

> Hi.
>
> On 7/23/2026 8:36 AM, NP Petronella wrote:
> > Dear Ben,
> >
> > Mandla?s position is straightforward. AFRINIC?s PDP is open to anyone
> > and imposes no qualification for participation. A contributor does not
> > automatically represent their employer merely because an affiliation is
> > known.
>
> I start wondering if we need a separate group - with only a subset of
> participants - where this kind of (repeated) lecturing about what the
> PDP is will be welcome.
>

SO: On the above the community list could serve that purpose plus staff can
come up with a PDP for beginner content and maybe a mailing list for those
genuinely interested in learning to subscribe. A mentorship program
targeted to PDP may come handy as well

If all that is an overkill, the rpd is still a good avenue to learn about
PDP, a lot of us learnt by following the rpd. The question is, are there
people genuinely interested in learning for the common good.

Regards

>
>
> I was working under the assumption that members of this mailing list
> already know that the PDP is open.
>
> as to the original question, which somehow was not quoted: a question
> was asked by Ben and one answer by one person with one statement was
> sufficient.
>
> No. I'm not trying to moderate. I just hope for a better signal/noise
> ratio. And if this here email results in more noise, i have failed.
>
> Frank
>
>
>
> > Unless Mandla expressly states that he is authorised to speak for NRS,
> > his contribution is his own. Employment is context, not a power of
> attorney.
> >
> > Assuming otherwise confuses participation with representation and
> > suggests a misunderstanding of how an open PDP works. Please assess
> > Mandla?s argument as Mandla?s argument.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Nonhlanhla
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > RPD mailing list
> > RPD at afrinic.net
> > https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> RPD mailing list
> RPD at afrinic.net
> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.afrinic.net/pipermail/rpd/attachments/20260723/d0819244/attachment.html>

------------------------------

Subject: Digest Footer

_______________________________________________
RPD mailing list
RPD at afrinic.net
https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd

------------------------------

End of RPD Digest, Vol 222, Issue 179
*************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.afrinic.net/pipermail/rpd/attachments/20260723/4e80a56c/attachment-0001.html>