NATIONAL POLLS
XOLISA PHILLIP: Elections head Glen Mashinini will face a new baptism
The road to the 2019 elections will be his next major litmus test
It has been two years and two months since Glen Mashinini, a former adviser to President Jacob Zuma, was appointed chairman of the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) by the head of state himself. A year before Mashinini’s appointment to what is arguably one of the country’s most powerful constitutional institutions, the IEC had been reeling after the abrupt departure of Pansy Tlakula, who was painted in an unflattering light by former public protector Thuli Madonsela in a report on the commission’s lease agreement for its head office.
Tlakula’s end days at the IEC were characterised by a protracted legal fight, despite mounting evidence pointing to the need for her to vacate her position, if only to preserve the IEC’s reputation. In short, what had started as a stellar stint was marred by a messy exit, which necessitated the appointment of someone who would be perceived to be a credible replacement. Alas, on October 15 2015, the Presidency named Mashinini as Tlakula’s successor,...
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