The deadline for submissions was Friday, June 6, and the country's Chief Justice Mandisa Maya will convene a panel to review the nominations and recommend candidates to the President for appointment.

The President appoints members of the Commission for a term of seven years, with one of the vacant positions having to be filled by a Judge of the High Court. This process comes at a crucial time ahead of the Local Government Elections next year.

The Parliamentary Engagement and Research Manager at the Organisation for Undoing Tax Abuse, Rachel Fisher, says several people have submitted their applications, hoping to be selected to fill three crucial vacant IEC Commissioner positions.

“An IEC Commissioner has the important task of administering the country’s elections, as well as directing operations of the IEC. The focus really turns onto the IEC Commissioners during election time. This could either be the National, Provincial, or Local Government Elections that will be taking place next year. They will need to make sure that the elections are free and fair, declare the results, and create public awareness. However, it doesn’t end there. Commissioners are also responsible for managing political party funding, the register, declarations, and overseeing direct electoral declarations,” says Fisher.

Fisher, elaborating on what is required of a Commissioner of the IEC and what prerequisites one needs to have if they desire to be appointed a Commissioner of such a crucial Chapter Nine Institution, says, “The crucial requirements for the candidates are impartiality, independence, and acting with integrity. We don’t want people who have held any political affiliations or high office. They must also have tertiary qualifications. It’s always an added advantage. They must also have a demonstrable understanding of the framework of constitutional democracy in South Africa.”

She says those who will fill the position will have their work cut out for them, adding that they will have to navigate a difficult terrain, often catching stray bullets from political parties.

“So, this person and the three commissioners must be able to understand the context, deal with the consequences and fallout, and learn the lessons from the NPE last year. The Office of the Chief Justice will have to convene a panel to review the nominations and shortlist candidates for interviews. After that, the panel will interview shortlisted candidates and recommend a suitable candidate to the National Assembly for consideration. Lawmakers will then consider the report and recommend candidates to the President for appointment,” she adds.

--SABC--