The Independent Electoral Commission has terminated the employment of an employee after they were found to have leaked the party candidate lists.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) last week fired an employee after they were found to have leaked the party candidate lists.
This comes after the IEC, on Monday March 11, announced that it had set up an inquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the unauthorised circulation of party candidate lists and the person or persons responsible.
On Saturday March 9, the Commission reported that it had become aware of lists of candidates that were being circulated on social media platforms, they said in a statement.
At a briefing on Monday, the commission said the investigation had narrowed the source of the disclosure to a workstation that had been used to generate and store reports. Later, these reports were deleted from the workstation.
Earlier on Monday, the workstation was secured and imaged in the presence of the staff member whose credentials were used to generate the reports. A forensic analysis of the computer was also done, said Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo.
“The official had rights to access the system and reports but was not authorised to distribute or circulate the information. The official is from one of the local offices of the Commission,” he said.
“The motive for the unauthorised circulation will be pursued as part of the ongoing investigation. Any behaviour that violates our code of conduct or undermines the credibility of the organisation will not be tolerated,” said Mr Mamabolo.
The chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, Mosa Chabane, stressed that the integrity of the electoral process must be protected. He added that they swift investigation and decision to terminate the employee’s contract demonstrates the integrity of the institution.
“We remain of the view that the IEC is a credible institution to run a free and fair process and that anything that endangers this process will be quickly investigated and action will be taken,” Mr Chabane said.
Beyond contravening the Protection of Personal Information Act, the unauthorised circulation of the lists undermined the clearly set out election timetable and processes of the 2024 provincial and national elections, he added.
Mr Chabane has called on the IEC to strengthen its internal controls and to imprint on its staff members the need to conduct themselves ethically to protect the institution’s integrity.
Despite the leak, Mr Chabane said, the IEC’s processes remain credible and that it has a proven track record of delivering on its mandate and promoting South Africa’s democratic order. The committee will receive an update on the investigation that is still ongoing and the processes in place for the elections, he added.