Parties have been afforded an opportunity to consult on the candidates recommended by the panel led by Chief Justice Mandiya Maya to fill three vacancies that will expire in November in the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

This comes after the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee received a submission from Judge Maya on the recommendation made after the panel interviewed 10 candidates.

Judge Maya was asked earlier this year by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to initiate a process for the filling of three vacancies that will arise upon expiry of the terms of current IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya and commissioners Nomsa Masuku and Judge Dhaya Pilay.

Judge Maya’s panel – consisting of Human Rights Commission chairperson Chris Nissen, Commission on Gender Equality chairperson Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale and Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka – received 77 applications.

It shortlisted 12 candidate, but two withdrew their nomanitions and 10 were interviewed.

Maya said in her letter to Didiza that the panel was recommending eight candidates in no particular order, after it made the assessment of the candidates.

They are retired Judge Isaac Madondo, Judge Pillay, Advocate Geraldene Chaplog-Louw, Joyce Pitso, IEC official Granville Abrahams, Moepya, University of Venda deputy vice-chancellor Dr Robert Martin and Nkosikhule Nyembezi.

Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane proposed to the MPs that they study the transcripts of the interviews of the candidates to ascertain the matters in the panel’s summary report.

“We give members an opportunity to further consult on the three names that we must discuss and deliberate for purposes of recommending to the House.

“We will schedule a date that we must deliberate, resolve and adopt the proposed names to be considered by the House and then this must be submitted to the President,” Chabane said.

He also said they were bound to process the matter quickly so that the IEC was able to have a full complement of commissioners as it prepares for the 2026 local government elections.

ANC MP Moleboheng Modise-Mpya, DA MP Adrian Roos and MK Party MP Sihle Ngubane agreed with Chabane’s proposal.

While supporting the proposal, IFP MP Busaphi Machi expressed her wish that women be considered to serve among the candidates to be nominated as commissioners.

“They do meet the criteria due to experience and qualifications,” Machi said.

 EFF MP Thapelo Mogale noted with concern that young people were not among those recommended to be commissioners.

“We want to understand why. Maybe they did not receive applications from young people below the age of 50 or 40,” he said, adding that even during the nominations of the Electoral Reform Panel, there were no young people.

 “It is really concerning. The median age is around 35 but look at the age of the people recommended. It is elderly people, we have nothing against them,” Mogale said.

He asked that they get an explanation from the panel that was led by Chief Justice Maya.

Chabane said they may have to write to Didiza in order for her to get answers from  the Chief Justice regarding the issues in relation to the question of young people.

 “If we don’t receive a response given the time frame, I don’t think it is a matter that can stall us not to proceed,” he said.

He noted the issue of young people appointed as commissioners had been raised before.

“In our next meeting,  we will deliberate, including the issues you have raised,” Chabane said.

mayibonwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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