19 July 2022: OUTA wrote to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, calling for the extension of the period for applications for the new commissioners for the commission, after the committee allowed just 22 days for nominations and applications. OUTA wanted this extended to have a more inclusive and publicly engaged process, to improve the chances of finding the best possible candidates for this crucial commission. OUTA's letter to the committee is here.
8 September 2022: OUTA joined a group of more than 40 civil society organisations and prominent individuals who wrote to the portfolio committee to object to the limited public participation process on commenting on the shortlisted new CGE commissioners. The group called for the public comment period to be extended beyond 10 days, for publication of the board candidates’ resumes and for the limit on comment length to be lifted. “In the current South African context gender-based violence wreaks unabated destruction; women continue to bear the brunt of inequality, poverty, and unemployment (where women are employed, they continue to earn on average 30% less that what men earn for work of equal value); and hate crime, hate speech, and discrimination against LGBTIQ+ communities goes unchecked, often with deadly consequences. It cannot be disputed that the mandate of the CGE and the experience, expertise, and temperament of its commissioners is ever more important,” said the organisations in the letter. “It is also no secret that the CGE has lately been mired in scandal, has failed to carry out its mandate diligently and impactfully, and is plagued by governance woes, accusations of in-fighting and bullying, and disturbingly high staff turnover.” The letter is here.
26 September 2022: OUTA made a submission to the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, saying that based on publicly available information there were red flags over eight of the 24 candidates for commissioners and they should be removed from the list. OUTA also called on the committee to release the candidates' resumes so the public could comment. OUTA believes this secrecy deliberately excludes the public from meaningful participation and is not in keeping with the constitutional requirement of public participation, and leads to concern over what is being hidden about the candidates. OUTA noted that even among the top candidates, there are concerns about some that their qualifications do not seem particularly relevant and it is not clear how they would add value to the commission.
28 February 2023: President Ramaphosa appointed five commissioners on the recommendation of the portfolio committee, including two people who had been red-flagged by OUTA. The appointments are here.
