ANC STATEMENT ON CALLS FOR ADV TLAKULA TO RESIGN

The African National Congress reiterates its earlier statement that the calls being made by a handful of political parties for the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, Advocate Pansy Tlakula, to resign are not genuine and are only informed by a desire to delegitimise the 2014 General Elections and the outcome thereof. It is our belief that despite the threats of legal action being made, no competent court will accept the stated intention of forcing Advocate Tlakula to resign. Such a call we believe is illegal, unconstitutional and undermines the rights that Advocate Tlakula, like any other citizen, enjoys in law.

The ANC is concerned also by the deafening silence of many in society in the face of the blatant lynching of Advocate Tlakula, the head of a Chapter 9 institution. Advocate Tlakula is an experienced and revered staffer and commissioner of the IEC whose credibility and expertise at the helm of the IEC is unparalleled. She has served the IEC with distinction both as a CEO and the Chairperson. During her tenure at the IEC, the IEC has never been founding wanting and we believe that this witch-hunt by a male mob is informed only by her stance to take the Public Protector's Report for review.

To the best of our knowledge, there are no charges that have been preferred against Advocate Tlakula nor is there a case against her before any court of law. It would have been our expectation therefore that political parties who claim to respect the rule of  law and constitutionalism, would allow due process to take course in the matter involving Advocate Tlakula instead of calling for her head with no basis. Whatever grievance these parties may have with regard to Advocate Tlakula, these grievances have no relationship with nor impact on the forthcoming elections.

The ANC has been encouraged by the fact that the majority of parties in the Party Liaison Committee of the IEC, including the DA and the IFP amongst others, have rejected the call for Chairperson of IEC to resign. It is only a handful of parties that are continuing with this ill-informed and misguided act.  We share the sentiments of those parties that reject this call as we believe that there is no basis in law to call for Advocate Tlakula to resign, such a call is disparaging to the dignity of the IEC Chairperson, it is not desirable and definitely not in the interest of stable, credible, free and fair elections to be held almost 3 weeks from today. 

The African National Congress once again calls upon all South Africans and political parties  to support the IEC  in the execution of its work 

Statement issued by Jackson Mthembu, ANC national spokesperson, April 15 2014

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