ANC in Parliament pave the way for the Zumafication of the IEC

3 March 2015

In today's sitting of the National Assembly the ANC predictably used its majority to recommend the appointment of Mr Vuma Glenton Mashinini as a commissioner of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

This after the Home Affairs Committee tabled their report recommending that Mr Mashinini be appointed as a commissioner to the IEC to take up the vacancy left by Adv Pansy Tlakula.

Mr Mashinini has worked closely with President Jacob Zuma in various capacities throughout his career and is currently employed as a Special Projects Advisor to the President.

The IEC is a Chapter 9 institution charged with carrying out free and fair elections and should at all times remain beyond reproach. The ANC in Parliament's recommendation of Mr Mashinini for an IEC Commissionership this afternoon is at direct odds with these constitutional principles. 

His nomination now paves the way for President Zuma to appoint him as IEC Chairperson. In a rare Freudian slip, the Deputy Speaker, put it to the House that it recommend Mr Mashinini for the Chairpersonship. 

Mr Mashinini's closeness with the President poses a glaring conflict of interest and should render him unsuitable for consideration at all.

The Chairpersonship of this institution must be held by someone who is beyond reproach, and capable of fairly and effectively running an organisation that is critically important to our democracy.

This move by the ANC in Parliament is irrational and not in line with the Constitution or the law and the DA will be consulting its lawyers to ascertain what steps can be taken to prevent the Zumafication of the IEC and to keep our elections free and fair. 

Statement issued by Haniff Hoosen MP, DA Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, March 3 2015

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter