Cape Town - Premier Alan Winde has accepted the recommendation by the Western Cape Provincial Parliament that Christina Nomdo be offered the position to act as the first ever Western Cape Children’s Commissioner.
Nomdo was recommended by the standing committee on social development and her recommendation was forwarded to the premier on March 19.
Winde signed the submission on Wednesday recommending her for the position and notified cabinet of the decision. A formal offer letter will now be drawn up and sent to Nomdo for her consideration and hopefully, acceptance.
“I was very pleased to accept the recommendation of the Provincial Parliament of Ms Christina Nomdo to become the Western Cape’s first Children’s Commissioner. She is imminently qualified for the role, with international experience, in Africa most notably but elsewhere also, advocating for human rights, and developing practical tools for children’s safety,” Winde said.
“She also made sure that the voices of children were heard and incorporated into the review of the country’s National Development Plan – Vision 2030. She has worked against child abuse and neglect, and is a proven advocate for children’s rights. She is currently working on her PhD focusing on law making for child autonomy rights.
“I am especially pleased that she has her roots in the Western Cape, having grown up and worked in the community of Belhar. This gives her an excellent understanding of some of the issues children of the Western Cape face, and which we, working with her, hope to address,” Winde said.
In addition to agreeing to Nomdo as the recommended candidate, Premier Winde also placed notice of the commencement of the Western Cape Commissioner for Children’s Act in the Provincial Gazette on Wednesday. The Act is therefore now operational.
“I would like to thank all the members of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature who have played a part in us reaching this historic point. I would also like to extend my thanks to the members of the public who made nominations for this important role, as well as those NGOs and members of civil society who participated in the process,” Winde said.
“Our next step is to issue a formal offer letter to Nomdo, and we will inform the public in due course on whether she has accepted the position. I did have a wonderful telephone call with Nomdo on Thursday morning, who has assured me that she is pleased to have been recommended, and will not delay in responding to the offer letter. We have already made budget provision for the office of the Commissioner to be set up, and we therefore hope to have the incumbent commence duty by latest 1 June 2020,” Winde said.
“As a province and as a country, we face a number of challenges which impact children in various ways. Having a dedicated Children’s Commissioner, who is a watchdog for their rights, is an important step in protecting them. We look forward to working with Nomdo, should she accept the appointment,” he said.