More time for IEC commissioner nominations

The office of the chief justice (OCJ) has once again bowed to pressure from civil society to extend the deadline for the nomination of candidates for selection to serve as commissioners for the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

Sources indicated OCJ had agreed to extend the deadline to 6 June.

The decision is in response to concerns from civil society organisations, who objected to the short notice given and the initial deadline of last Friday for the closing of nominations.

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In early 2022, various non-governmental organisations asked former chief justice Raymond Zondo to extend the process for the appointment to fill a commissioner’s position.

He agreed to do so.

The IEC, a Chapter 9 institution, has five commissioners, one of whom should be a judge, and who are appointed for a seven-year term.

Expiration of IEC commissioners’ term

Currently, the commissioners are Mosotho Moepya as chair, Janet Love, Glen Mashinini, Dr Nomsa Masuku and judge Dhaya Pillay.

The vacancies exist because the terms for Moepya, Masuku and Pillay expire in November.

However, the three qualify to stand for a second term while their fellow commissioners Love and Mashinini were on their second terms.

The Cape-based My Vote Counts wrote to Chief Justice Mandisa Maya last week requesting an extension to the deadline.

My Vote Counts’ political systems leader Boikanyo Moloto said the letter pointed out that the information on the advertised notice did not seem to have been circulated widely.

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