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In August 2025 Corruption Watch (CW) celebrated as the Constitutional Court handed down its judgment in the organisation’s challenge to the validity of the appointment of five commissioners to the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE). The court found unanimously in favour of the organisation’s application to have the appointment process, undertaken in 2022, declared invalid as it offered inadequate public participation.
CW approached the court in late 2023, several months after the appointments were officially announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to have them declared invalid. The court upheld CW’s application on the grounds that Parliament had not satisfactorily met its obligations imposed in terms of section 59(1)(a) of the Constitution and that the actions of the portfolio committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities failed to secure a meaningful public participation process. The court further ruled that the invalidity of the appointments was to be suspended for 12 months to allow Parliament to conduct a new appointment process and Ramaphosa to make appointments in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution.
Now, the committee has shortlisted a new group of candidates for interviews to fill the vacancies on the CGE and has invited the public to comment by the deadline of 26 May 2026. This move is guided by the Constitutional Court judgment, which directed the committee to implement an extended public commentary period to ensure meaningful public participation.
The committee received 88 applications and had agreed to shortlist 12 candidates, but 14 applicants received five or more nominations and these 14 have made it through to the interview stage. Interviews are scheduled for 28 and 29 May 2026, during which the committee will also consider public comments and verification reports from the State Security Agency and Parliament’s human resources department regarding qualifications. The committee invites all members of the public and civil society to engage and share their views on the candidates, as their contributions will help determine the next cohort of commissioners.
The shortlisted candidates are (in alphabetical order):
Public comments can be submitted through an online form accessible via this link: PUBLIC COMMENTARY – SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES COMMISSION FOR GENDER EQUALITY 2026 – Google Forms
Comments can also be emailed to Ms Yolanda Sili at cge-application@parliament.gov.za by no later than Tuesday, 26 May 2026.
