-
The Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament’s appointment process for gender commissioners failed to meet public participation requirements.
Parliament says it respects the Constitutional Court’s ruling which invalidates the process to appoint five candidates to serve on the Commission for Gender Equality.
The court ruled that Parliament failed to give public participation reasonable time in the process to recommend the candidates.
Advocacy group, Corruption Watch challenged Parliament’s appointment of the candidates in 2023 and recognises its role in safeguarding constitutional principles, including openness, transparency and accountability.
The Advocacy group has described the Constitutional Court’s invalidation of a process to appoint candidates on the Gender Commission as a milestone.
“The constitutional court found that parliament failed in three key areas. Firstly, in withholding essential information about the candidates from the public. Secondly, allowing only 14 days for public comment, which is an insufficient time for meaningful public engagement. Fourth by restricting submissions to a mere 2000 characters-through online only four,” says Corruption Watch Attorney, Nkululeko Conco.
Conco says the court declared the appointment of five commissioners for commission for gender equality commissioners invalid and suspended this declaration of invalidity for 12 months.
