Wannabe IEC chiefs grilled

Queendy Gungubele had to negotiate choppy waters yesterday after her candidacy for the chairmanship of the Independent Electoral Commission was questioned.

She is the wife of Mondli Gungubele, mayor of Ekurhuleni and a non-executive director at Eskom, among other companies.

Gungubele was one of 14 shortlisted candidates interviewed for the position previously occupied by Pansy Tlakula.

The office of Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng invited the public to comment about the candidates.

In his submission, Mike Moriarty, chairman of the DA in Gauteng, took exception to Gungubele being considered.

But Gungubele said whom she was married to "shouldn't even be a consideration".

"My first reaction [to Moriarty's challenge] was, 'Should I withdraw?', but I'm an independent thinker and professional.

"I don't want to be looked at and treated on the basis of whom I'm married to," Gungubele said.

The panel, headed by Mogoeng, included Deputy Public Protector Kevin Malunga, SA Human Rights Commission chairman Lawrence Mushwana and the chairman of the Commission for Gender Equality, Mfanozelwe Shozi.

Gungubele suggested her curriculum vitae rather than her personal connections should take precedence.

All the candidates were grilled about voter education, personal health and their readiness for such a gruelling job, previous personal scandals (if any), and their opinions on the introduction of electronic voting - an error-ridden system that turned the US presidential race between Al Gore and George W Bush into a farce.

Another candidate, professor Mzamo Gumbi, called for e-voting to be tested by way of a pilot project. It could not have a "blanket" introduction, he said.

"Some areas of our country have no electricity and technology, and children are studying under trees, so you can't come and talk about e-voting - they won't know what you're talking about."

Tlakula resigned earlier this year after losing a court challenge against the Electoral Court's verdict that there were legitimate grounds for her axing.

In August, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found that the process followed by Tlakula in securing a R320-million lease for the IEC's head office in Centurion, Pretoria, was "irregular" and had "violated procurement rules".

Another candidate, Vuma Mashinini, a special projects adviser to President Jacob Zuma, was questioned more extensively, but he said he was a professional and denied there would be challenges arising from his connections.

The panel will submit eight names of recommended candidates to the National Assembly. An ad-hoc committee will deliberate on the candidates and recommend to the president the one it believes should be appointed.