IEC chairperson defends her position in court
JOBURG - Only days before the 2014 elections, the Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson Pansy Tlakula is appearing before the Electoral Court to defend her job.
Only days before the 2014 elections, the Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson Pansy Tlakula is appearing before the Electoral Court to defend her job.
This comes after opposition parties brought an application before the Electoral Court, requesting Tlakula’s resignation over the IEC headquarters lease scandal.
The parties have argued that her presence would seriously harm the credibility of the commission and the public’s confidence in the outcome of the elections.
However, Tlakula has argued that the credibility of the upcoming elections would not be jeopardised because of her, and promised to deliver a free and fair election.
During an interview on Radio 702, Tlakula said, “I really do not believe that my presence in the organisation will affect the credibility of the elections, that is why I am still there despite all the noise.”
She added that she would not step down temporarily for the elections.
“I will not leave until I have cleared my name, and I am prepared even to go to any length to clear my name and until I have done that, I go nowhere.”
Last year, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released a damning report on the IEC’s procurement of its R320 million Centurion offices.
Madonsela found Tlakula guilty of maladministration and misconduct over the acquisition, and recommended President Jacob Zuma take urgent steps against her.
However, although Tlakula has accepted some responsibility for irregularities in the procurement, she has denied any wrongdoing.
“We disclosed ourselves to the auditor general in the year 2009 and 2010… These decisions were taken not by me only, but by a number of us in the organisation, including the commission.
“Those issues happened five years ago when I was Chief Electoral Officer and these were not decisions that I took personally, they were organisational decisions,” she added.
Parties calling for her resignation are the United Democratic Movement, Agang SA, the Economic Freedom Fighters the African Christian Democratic Party and the Congress of the People.
