The selection process for new members of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) will move a step further this week with the holding of interviews of close to 40 candidates nominated by the public and sectoral organisations.

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr Zweli Mkhize, issued a call for nominations in September last year. The Minister has appointed a selection panel to interview the candidates and prepare a shortlist that will be given to the President of the Republic to consider and appoint at least 12 members to serve as Commissioners for a period of five years. The appointment process is undertaken in terms of section 11 of the CRL Act.

The members of the Selection Panel are the following;

• Professor Sihawu Ngubane, Panel Chairperson, who is the Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  Since 2002 Professor Ngubane has served as the Deputy Chairperson of the African Renaissance Movement in KwaZulu-Natal. Professor Ngubane also adjudicates articles for possible publication for the African Language Association of Southern Africa.
• Hosi N’wamita II, a recognised Senior Traditional Leader of the Valoyi Traditional Community in Limpopo. She is a former Member of Parliament and currently serving as an executive in the Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders.
• Dr Mongane Wally Serote, renowned poet and writer, former Member of Parliament and former Chairman of the Portfolio Committee for Arts, Culture, Language, Science and Technology. Dr Serote is also a traditional healer.
• Mr Ashwin Trikamjee, a practising Hindu priest and an attorney. He is the former Chairperson of the National Religious Leaders Forum and is the President of the Hindu Council of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha and previously served as Vice-President of the Hindu Council of Africa.
• Father Patrick Rakeketsi, the Associate General Secretary of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference, lecturer at St John Vianney Seminary and Chairman of the Board of Management of Catholic Institutions in the Archdiocese of Pretoria.
• Ms Marlene Bethlehem is a former Deputy Chairperson of the CRL Rights Commission and former Chairperson of Advocacy on Public Education at the CRL Commission

The mandate of the CRL Rights Commission entails the following;

• promote respect for and further the protection of the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities;
• promote and develop peace, friendship, humanity, tolerance and national unity among and within cultural, religious and linguistic communities, on the basis of equality, non-discrimination and free association;
• foster mutual respect among cultural, religious and linguistic communities;
• to promote the right of communities to develop their historically diminished heritage; and
• to recommend the establishment or recognition of community councils

The procedure for the selection of the members is as follows;

Section 11 of the CRL Act provides:

(1)  Whenever it is necessary to appoint the members of the Commission contemplated in section 9 (1) (b), the Minister must-

(a) through advertisements in the media, nationally and in each of the provinces, and, where necessary, by other means, invite organisations or individuals within the cultural, religious and linguistic communities of South Africa to nominate persons complying with section 10 for appointment to the Commission;

(b) take further steps to invite organisations and individuals within the cultural, religious and linguistic communities of South Africa to nominate persons complying with section 10 for appointment to the Commission if the initial nominations as a result of advertisements or invitations referred to in paragraph (a) would not meet the requirements of section 9 (3);

(c) compile a list of the names of persons nominated in respect of each of the various cultural, religious and linguistic communities, setting out the prescribed particulars of each individual nominee; and

(d) appoint a selection panel consisting of persons who command public respect for their fair-mindedness, wisdom and understanding of issues concerning South African cultural, religious and linguistic communities.

(2)  Any nomination made pursuant to an advertisement in terms of subsection (1) (a) or an invitation in terms of subsection (1) (b) must be supported by-

(a) the personal details of the nominee;

(b) particulars of the nominee’s involvement in cultural, religious and linguistic affairs, including a list of the cultural, religious and linguistic organisations of which that nominee is a member, an office-bearer or in which that nominee is an active participant;

(c) particulars of the nominee’s knowledge and experience concerning issues relevant to-

(i)  the promotion and protection of the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities; and

(ii)  nation-building; and

(d) any other information that may be prescribed.

(3) The selection panel must-

(a) select persons who qualify to be members of the Commission and who would be most suited to serve on the Commission;

(b) select persons whose appointment would meet the requirements of section 9 (3);(c)        select from the list compiled in terms of subsection (1) (c) at least one and a half times the number of members to be appointed as a result of-

(i)     a new term of the Commission;

(ii)    an increase in the number of members contemplated in section 9 (1) (b); or

(iii)  a vacancy; and

(d)      submit the names of the selected persons to the President together with reasons why they were selected.

(4)    The President must-

(a) appoint the members of the Commission from the names of the selected persons submitted in terms of subsection (3) (d); and

(b)  comply with section 9 (3) when making the appointments.”

Below is the full list of those who are being interviewed or will be interviewed:

NO	CANDIDATE NAME	CATEGORY
12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42	Morakabe Raks SeakhoaMr Mandla Langa Rev Hermanus Damons Rev Dr Tsietsi Maloma Rasta Sipho Mantula Dr Sipho Moses Zondi Dr Muneer Abduroaf Mr Dawood Terblanche Rev Michael Ian Weeder Dr Oscarine Nokuzola Mdende Ms Pumla Madiba Dr Collin Naicker Mr Renier Schoeman Rev. Dr Christopher Bonginkosi Thenjwayo Ms Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva Pundit Visvakumar Singh Dr Paul Shilubane Rev Micah Mhlupheki Nthali Ngaka Abram Tsiane Dr John Mphaphuli Arch. Dr Modiri Shole Ms Sheila Khama Prof David Mosoma Rev William Mvambo Prof Pitika Ntuli Ms Nomalanga Tyamzashe Adv Richard Botha Ms Tsholofelo Mosala Inkosi Sydney Xolile Ndevu Mr Raymond Trollip Mr Sicelo Emmanuel Dlamini Ms Jean Josephine Choudree Mr Phumlani  Victor Mzobe Mr Lethola Joseph Mokatile Ms Ramokone Tryphina Kgatla Mr Moses Themba Makhweyane Mr Mxolisi Eshwell Zwane Dr Leshabela Herbert Maduane Kgosi Malesela Solomon Dikgale Dr Johannes Gogome Tshifularo Dr Sylvia Mmamohapi Pheto Ms Lungi Sokhulu	Culture/EntertainmentCulture/Entertainment Religion Religion Religion (Rastafari) Religion Religion (Muslim) Religion (Muslim) Religion (SACC) African Religion(Traditional Healer) Culture Religion (Hindu) Religion (Afrikaans) Religion Culture Religion (Hindu) Culture Religion African Religion(Traditional Healer) Religion Religion African Religion(Traditional Healer) Religion Religion Arts and Culture Culture (Modern Arts) Culture (Khoi-San) Youth/Culture Tradition Culture (Khoi-San) Language (PWD – deaf) Language & Culture (Khoi-San) Youth/Culture Modern Arts Language Culture Language Culture & Language (Academic) Tradition Tradition Tradition Culture

 

Issued by the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs