Madam Deputy Speaker, the Commission for Gender Equality, one of our Chapter 9 institutions, was established to bolster our fledgling democracy and uphold the values enshrined in the Constitution. Its main function is to advance the development, protection and attainment of gender equality and promote respect for the institution.
Amongst other things, it has the power to monitor, investigate, subpoena, research, educate and advocate throughout the country, in urban and deep rural areas. This is a major challenge owing to the great distances to be covered, the fact that the commissioners are not situated in all the provinces and that not all language groups are represented.
In a country like ours, which still suffers a massive burden in respect of patriarchal attitudes, bias and prejudice, it is important that gender transformation takes place to enable every citizen to enjoy equal rights, whether young, old, widowed, married or single. It is vital that the commission is efficient and effective and that it is respected by all citizens so that the abuse of human rights, particularly gender and domestic violence, can be eradicated.
It is unfortunate that the CGE has been in the news over the past few years owing to its underperformance and mismanagement, both administrative and financial. However, after the forensic investigation was completed and its turnaround strategy was adopted, it has shown an improvement in its management and performance. Yet many NGOs, which play a vital role in assisting victims of abuse and injustice, believe that the CGE has still not fulfilled its mandate of monitoring legislation and checking on its accountability adequately.
Therefore, it is crucial that the new commissioners are people with extensive knowledge of gender issues and experience as gender activists - people who can advocate issues with conviction and credibility. It is important that the commissioners understand the intersections of gender, HIV/Aids, poverty and disability and that they understand and advance lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex, or LGBTI, rights.
The commissioners need to be people who have the courage of their convictions to challenge religious and cultural practices that undermine gender equality. It is vital that they are people of integrity who have the ability to hold government and other institutions of power and influence to account, including civil society.
Sadly, some of the candidates who qualified in every respect and had extensive experience of gender matters did not reach the final list. The DA cannot support the nomination of the controversial Mr Wallace Mgoqi, who first served as a land commissioner before assuming office as a municipal manager. Subsequent to his departure from that office, he was a candidate for the Human Rights Commission. He then made himself available as a gender commissioner, despite the fact that he has no real track record in the field of gender activism or advocacy. One cannot but wonder whether he was simply trying to acquire more caps or whether he is truly dedicated to the task at hand - that of bringing about gender equality. It seems he has friends in high places.
It is to be recommended that once the overhaul of the Chapter 9 institutions has taken place, as advocated by the late Prof Kader Asmal, the statutory requirements regarding the composition of the selection panel will be changed so that there will be less political influence in the choice of commissioners. Those who serve on the selection panel for the CGE should not only be politicians, but experts in gender studies and practice.
It is unfortunate that the DA was the only opposition party that participated fully in the selection process. Perhaps if there had been representation from other opposition parties, we could have presented a united front to ensure that fitness for purpose was the main criterion for selection.
In order to have a well-functioning democratic institution such as the CGE, which is there to protect our constitutional rights, it is important that there should be full participation by all parties. This is so that we are not put in a position in which the ruling party completely dominates the selection process. Ndiyabulela, Somlomo. [Thank you, Speaker.] [Applause.]