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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The IEC and the 2014 elections: a mark of institutional maturity?
Author:Ndletyana, McebisiISNI
Year:2015
Periodical:Journal of African Elections (ISSN 1609-4700)
Volume:14
Issue:1
Pages:171-187
Language:English
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:elections
2014
election management bodies
institutions
public opinion
Abstract:South Africa's election management body, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), faced an unprecedented situation in the run-up to the country's fifth elections. The IEC was mired in a controversy that threatened to explode into public protests. The dispute, which involved the chairperson of the commission, Pansy Tlakula, was sparked by her relationship with a businessman, Thaba Mufamadi, a member of Parliament (MP) representing the governing African National Congress (ANC) and chairperson of Parliament's finance portfolio committee. This raised concerns about whether or not the IEC would manage the elections impartially. The Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, suggested that Parliament should censure Tlakula, a measure that might result in her removal from office. The proximity of the elections, however, militated against the resolution of the saga, leading to Tlakula staying on to oversee the elections. The article focuses on this saga and examines two related issues: the handling of the complaint by the responsible public institutions and its general impact on the public perception and credibility of the IEC. The article tracks the parliamentary process that was initiated to probe and recommend a remedy to the complaint, to its referral to the Electoral Court and to the result. The intention is to discern what the handling of this challenging episode says about South Africa's public institutions and public culture. In doing so, the article shines a spotlight on the specific lessons learnt from the saga and on their impact. The author employs an institutionalist theoretical framework to explain their conclusions. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]
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