Cape Town - The ANC has used its numbers to ensure Vuma Mashinini, a special presidential adviser, is recommended to take over the helm of the Electoral Commission of South Africa, in a replay of the numbers game in the home affairs committee.
The matter came to a vote after party political declarations, in which all opposition parties criticised the recommendation as politically motivated. Mashinini was described as unsuitable not only because his nomination meant there were no more women at the commission, but because of his close relationship with President Jacob Zuma.
However, the vote of 223 for and 127 against, with two abstentions, carried.
The post of IEC chairman became vacant late last year when Pansy Tlakula resigned following controversy over procurement irregularities and conflicts of interest in the acquisition of new head offices.
DA MP Haniff Hoosen said Mashinini’s close relationship with the president disqualified him from heading a Chapter 9 institution, an independent institution supporting democracy. “The DA does not believe Mr Mashinini is a suitable candidate.”
EFF MP Hlengiwe Maxon described the appointment as “political” and a blow to gender equality. “No woman is left at the IEC at the moment. It is not in the best interest for a man to replace a woman.”
IFP MP Sibongile Nkomo said the IEC boss needed to be nonpartisan, and Mashinini’s CV showed he was not. “As long as that person is not independent, (he) will always look like a political deployee.”
Freedom Front Plus MP Pieter Groenewald described the ANC as “a cheering commando”, saying the party may cheer, but “you do the democracy of South Africa a disservice”.
Only the ANC spoke in favour of Mashinini, declaring it was the party in power, not the DA or EFF.
Earlier, home affairs committee chairman Lemias Mashile said Mashinini got the support because with the 2016 local government election looming, “we need a commissioner who can hit the ground running”.
The other seriously considered candidate was Janet Love, a South African Human Rights Commission commissioner and former anti-apartheid activist.
Between 1998 and 2001, Mashinini served as deputy chief electoral officer before establishing an election services consultancy, which worked in several countries in Africa. Following the establishment of another management consultancy, in 2012 Mashinini was appointed special adviser in the Presidency. Previously, he served as deputy chairman of the presidential review committee of state-owned entities.
While on Tuesday’s National Assembly discussion focused on Mashinini’s role as presidential adviser, his CV holds a few surprises. In Australia, where his family emigrated in 1980, he worked as a winehouse steward and barman, a fast-food store manager, and a drill and blasting assistant and laboratory assistant in the mining sector. Following his return to South Africa he was education director at the Durban Playhouse Theatre.
Mashinini and Love were among the names submitted to the parliamentary home affairs committee following public interviews by a panel headed by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng. Following the National Assembly adoption of the recommendations, it will be sent to President Jacob Zuma, who makes the appointment.
Political Bureau