Former chief director of legal services in the presidency advocate Sibongile Sigodi found her interview for an Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) commissioner post “daunting”.
Sigodi, who was the last candidate of 11 contesting to fill three IEC commissioner posts, was interviewed by a panel chaired by chief justice Mandisa Maya in Midrand on Tuesday.
She described some of the questions posed by the interviewing panel, which included public protector Kholeka Gcaleka, SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) chair Chris Nissen and Commission for Gender Equality chair Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale, as “difficult”.
Sigodi was nominated by the former state capture inquiry evidence leader, advocate Leah Gcabashe.
Sigodi was the principal state law adviser for the presidency in 2015-22, when she retired. She served during former president Jacob Zuma and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s tenures.
As the head of legal for the presidency, she worked with Zuma and Ramaphosa’s legal advisers on litigation matters that directly involved them.
In her CV, she detailed that she also reviewed complex, sensitive, confidential acts and presidential minutes submitted for the president’s signature.
Sigodi said she viewed the IEC’s work as important to the protection and strengthening of democracy, adding if she were to join the commission she would boost that responsibility.
She raised concerns about decreasing voter turnout and “people lacking confidence in the outcome of the elections”, saying it could lead to instability.
The voter turnout in the most recent general elections decreased from 66% in 2019 to 58.64%.
“It worries me because this may lead to a very unstable country,” she said.
“Sometimes you see in the media that ballot papers were thrown away and people sort of doubt the outcome of the election.”
Sigodi also pinned low voter turnout on politicians who do not deliver on their promises.
“The commission as part of voter education could emphasise it is important for people to vote for the right people. In Thembisa, when the mayor wanted to increase the electricity tariff, people started protesting. It means there is something wrong with the communication between the community and the political head,” she said.
Gcaleka asked what strategic remedies the IEC should adopt to deal with the lack of confidence.
She said transparency and education on the electoral system and how it works were key to dealing with a lack of confidence.
In her closing remarks, she said she was used to being the one conducting interviews and found the experience “a bit daunting”.
The panel on Tuesday also interviewed former University of Venda deputy vice-chancellor for corporate services division Robert Martin, who retired from the university in December 2024.
[The commission] should start to embrace what AI can offer rather than running away from it, looking at the potential it is offering in maximising on its mandate.
— Robert Martin
Martin told the panel the commission should consider using artificial intelligence (AI) to make it more effective.
“It should start to embrace what AI can offer rather than running away from it, looking at the potential it is offering in maximising on its mandate,” he said.
The youngest candidate interviewed was Nkosikhulule Nyembezi, 49.
He described himself as a human rights activist adding that his work experience in civil society organisations would be valuable to the commission. Should he be appointed he would engage stakeholders and work on voter participation programmes.
Nyembezi previously worked for Black Sash, a human rights organisation for six years and at the US consulate in Durban as a political and economic adviser.
He told the commission he had been observing elections since 1994 and understood the system and public issues well.
“I have been working closely with the commission on stakeholder [relations] including security issues. I have proved my leadership skills in spaces where one has to enforce the electoral code of conduct and deal with people and call them to order,” he said.
“On election day I am often in no-go areas,” Nyambezi said, adding that his experiences at the ground level empowered him to know what should be done in leadership positions.
Other candidates interviewed for the posts include IEC chair Mosotho Moepya, former election matters GM Granville Abrahams, UN elections adviser Joyce Pitso, anthropologist Dr Rajendran Govender, former KwaZulu-Natal deputy judge president Mjabuliseni Madondo, retired judge Dhaya Pillay and advocate Geraldene Chaplog-Louw, who worked as the chief audit executive for the commission.
The interviews have concluded. After deliberations, the panel will recommend suitable candidates for parliament’s consideration. Thereafter President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce the commissioner appointments.
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