By Linda Daniels
An investigation into allegations of mismanagement and financial abuse within the Commission for Gender Equality is expected to be wrapped up by the Public Protector by March.
Meanwhile, the department of public service and administration has confirmed that the CGE and other similar Chapter 9 institutions entrenched in the Constitution are the subject of a review.
The allegations about the CGE prompted a two-day plenary meeting of the commission last week where the claims were tabled and discussed. In a statement after the discussions, CGE spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the meeting resolved to have an independent mechanism... investigate the veracity of the allegations and report back within the next two months.
The report will also outline recommendations on how these matters can be resolved.
The CGE said it would share the findings with all the relevant stakeholders at the end of the process.
The deputy chairperson of the institution, Bafana Khumalo, confirmed that the independent mechanism probing the allegations was the Public Protector.
The allegations are contained in a letter authored by anonymous staff members and sent to the Public Protector, the Justice Department, Public Service Commission and Independent Newspapers.
The letter detailed alleged irregularities including so-called unfair labour practices and unnecessary expenditure on equipment such as a video conference facility.
The anonymous staff members pointed fingers at CEO Chana Majake and chairperson Joyce Piliso-Seroke as the alleged main transgressors. Majake has declined to comment while Piliso-Seroke indicated that the CGE viewed the allegations seriously and was putting measures in place to address them.
The latest CGE woes follow similar accusations in another constitutionally entrenched Chapter 9 institution, the South African Human Rights Commission. This resulted in the CEO Lindiwe Mokate handing in her resignation last month.
The CGE, SAHRC and other Chapter 9 institutions are up for review by the Department of Public Service and Administration next year.
Chapter 9 institutions are independent institutions supporting constitutional democracy and are subject only to the Constitution and the law. They also include the Public Protector, the Electoral Commission, the Auditor-General and the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities. The Constitution stipulates that no person or organ of State may interfere with the functioning of these institutions.
The review would look at the mandate of each Chapter 9 institution and whether they had been effective in carrying them out.