IEC candidate explains his PSL role

25 June 2018 - 12:55 By Ernest Mabuza
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The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairman Glen Mashinini speaks during the official final announcement of the 2016 local government election results on August 06, 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairman Glen Mashinini speaks during the official final announcement of the 2016 local government election results on August 06, 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Image: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Mabuti Kali

Allan Campbell‚ one of the candidates for three vacancies at the Independent Electoral Commission‚ on Monday explained his relationship with current IEC chairman Glen Mashinini and his role in the Premier Soccer League in 2002.

The My Vote Counts and the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution said the then chairman of the PSL‚ Professor Mandla Mchunu‚ had appointed his own firm to run the affairs of the league. The firm was established by Mchunu‚ Mashinini and Campbell.

The firm‚ called Mchunu‚ Mashinini and Associates (MM&A) charged the league R500‚000 a month and the contract was worth R3-million. The organisations said the concern with this was that the contract was not put out to tender.

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane‚ one of the interviewers‚ asked Campbell to explain the contract.

“The PSL‚ the work that we had do‚ was a contract for consulting services. We submitted our invoice and for some reason‚ some parts of the PSL were of the opinion that the invoice was too high‚” Campbell said.

“The ultimate resolution to the matter was that the PSL paid‚ because they had to pay and we stood our ground in that respect as well. I stood my ground in that respect as well.”

Campbell said he was happy with the work that was done for the PSL.

“At the time the PSL did not have a CEO. I had to play the role of being acting CEO in the course of the consulting project for the PSL.”

Campbell said integrity was fundamentally important to anybody thrust into a position of leadership‚ particularly in the case of an institution such as the IEC.

“In my view‚ it means you must be beyond reproach‚ unblemished‚ brutally honest about whatever it is that you are dealing with‚ even if it may be to your detriment. I would not have applied if I did not think that one would act in that particular way‚” Campbell said.

When Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng asked whether the contract was put to tender‚ Campbell said they were approached by the PSL directly.

“This happened also because there was a remote relationship with individuals‚ myself‚ Professor Mchunu at the time with the PSL.

“We were then approached to assist the PSL with governance issues and planning‚ particularly because sponsorship agreements were coming to an end. We signed the agreement with the PSL.”

Mogoeng asked whether the PSL contract was of the kind where the PSL was at liberty to approach one service provider to the exclusion of others.

“I do not think they were under obligation to tender. I think what happened is they invited a few proposals.

“Ours was one of those. We were invited to make a presentation to a board of governors‚ which we did‚ and subsequent to that we were then appointed.”

Campbell said he no longer had a business relationship with Mashinini as the company they had formed had been deregistered for 10 years.

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