President Jacob Zuma has appointed Vuma Glenton Mashinini as the new Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa.
The position has been vacant since former chair Pansy Tlakula resigned at the end of September last year. Vice Chairperson Mr Terry Tselane has since been acting as chairperson.
Tlakula resigned after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found that a building the IEC leased under Tlakula’s watch was procured in a procedurally flawed transaction. Tlakula had also not declared a relationship with one of the directors of a company with interests in the office park.
Mashinini‚ according to a Sunday Times report‚ was considered a frontrunner for the position before he was appointed. In February‚ the National Assembly’s home affairs portfolio committee‚ which oversees the affairs of the IEC‚ recommended that Mashinini fill the vacancy left by Tlakula. The decision was criticised by opposition parties‚ which saw it as a ploy to have commissioners sympathetic to the ANC dominating the electoral commission.
Mashinini served as Deputy Chief Electoral Officer of the IEC from 1998 to 2001‚ when he was responsible for the establishment and administration of the national head office‚ all nine provincial electoral offices and approximately 350 municipal electoral offices. He was appointed a commissioner of the IEC in April earlier this year.
Previously‚ he served as a special projects advisor to the president.
He also has previous business links with Tlakula and ANC MP Thaba Mufamadi‚ according to the Sunday Times.
Zuma‚ as head of state‚ has the final say on who gets appointed IEC chairman.
Zuma appoints IEC chair
The position has been vacant since former chair Pansy Tlakula resigned at the end of September last year. Vice Chairperson Mr Terry Tselane has since been acting as chairperson.
Tlakula resigned after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found that a building the IEC leased under Tlakula’s watch was procured in a procedurally flawed transaction. Tlakula had also not declared a relationship with one of the directors of a company with interests in the office park.
Mashinini‚ according to a Sunday Times report‚ was considered a frontrunner for the position before he was appointed. In February‚ the National Assembly’s home affairs portfolio committee‚ which oversees the affairs of the IEC‚ recommended that Mashinini fill the vacancy left by Tlakula. The decision was criticised by opposition parties‚ which saw it as a ploy to have commissioners sympathetic to the ANC dominating the electoral commission.
Mashinini served as Deputy Chief Electoral Officer of the IEC from 1998 to 2001‚ when he was responsible for the establishment and administration of the national head office‚ all nine provincial electoral offices and approximately 350 municipal electoral offices. He was appointed a commissioner of the IEC in April earlier this year.
Previously‚ he served as a special projects advisor to the president.
He also has previous business links with Tlakula and ANC MP Thaba Mufamadi‚ according to the Sunday Times.
Zuma‚ as head of state‚ has the final say on who gets appointed IEC chairman.
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