On Tuesday 2 September 2014, the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs received from the Speaker of the National Assembly notice that the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, Advocate Pansy Tlakula, has tendered in her letter of resignation.
Following this, the Committee convened an urgent meeting this morning to deliberate on the matter as the Committee was still in the process of considering the Electoral Court judgement. In light of Adv Tlakula’s resignation, the Committee has thus resolved and will recommend to the National Assembly to abandon its consideration of the Electoral Court judgement.
The Committee would like to thank Advocate Tlakula for her immense contribution to the Electoral Commission and to South Africa’s democracy as a whole. During her tenure, both as Chief Electoral Officer and Chairperson of the Commission the IEC she set high standards recognised the world over on how to run efficient electoral systems and processes. To this day, the IEC remains a bastion of our budding democracy.
While her resignation will deprive the institution of her immense experience, the Committee remains convinced that the institution has solid structures to continue with its important work. The remaining Commissioners and senior management have the full capacity and experience among them to steer the IEC to even greater heights.
The Committee wishes Advocate Tlakula all the best in her future endeavours.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Malatswa Evans Molepo
Tel: 021 403 8438
Cell: 073 297 1914
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
