E Cape’s Finca in line for renewed IEC position

Reverend Bongani Finca is among the eight candidates who will hear on Wednesday whether they are among the three candidates to become IEC commissioners for next year’s elections.

Should he get the nod, the former IEC Eastern Cape commissioner will be back for another stint at the electoral commission.

Finca’s contracts as elections commissioner, along with those of vice-chairperson Terry Tselane and Judge Thami Makhanya, expires at the end of this year.

The Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng-led panel – which includes human rights commission chair Professor Bongani Majola, gender equality commission deputy chair Tamara Mathebula and public protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane – received 119 applications, but they whittled them down to a shortlist of 26 before announcing that it was now down to eight.

Other shortlisted candidates are Judge Dhanyanithie Pillay; Maletlatsa Ledingwane; Nomonde Mapetla; Mosotho Moepya; Dr Nomsa Masuku; Bernadette Muthien and Liepollo Pheko.

The home affairs portfolio committee in parliament will decide on Wednesday which of the eight will get the nod.

My Vote Counts (VC) spokesperson Sheilan Clarke urged parliamentarians to practice “due diligence and ensure that only the most suitable candidates are appointed to ensure the delivery of free and fair elections”.

The NGO has been following the recruitment process, and earlier in the year, together with the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution even compiled a comprehensive report on the 26 shortlisted candidates for public scrutiny.

Clarke said their report highlighted some background research into the education, employment history and any business interests the eight candidates may have.