Parliament, Tuesday, 21 October 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities met on Tuesday and adopted, with amendments, the advertisement and programme for reconstituting the appointment process for commissioners of the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE).
This adoption follows a Constitutional Court ruling that judged the previous appointment of CGE commissioners invalid.
Committee members were briefed by Parliament's legal advisors, in-order to understand the implications of the judgment and to develop a path forward, as the committee is tasked with redoing the appointment process.
The ruling in the case of Corruption Watch NPC v Speaker and Others (CCT 333/23) challenged the public participation process that led to the 2023 appointment of CGE commissioners.
The Constitutional Court heard the case on 6 March 2025 and delivered its judgment on 1 August 2025, ruling in favour of the applicant.
The court found that Parliament had failed to fulfil its constitutional obligation to facilitate reasonable public involvement.
To address the shortcomings of the previous committee during the sixth Parliament, the committee proposed measures that will deal with the ConCourt ruling.
The committee said all applicants will now be required to submit a full CV, which will be published for public commentary. This approach aims to ensure significant and adequate public engagement in the recruitment process for commissioners. The committee plans to advertise for nominations from 1 December 2025 to 23 January 2026, allowing for 36 working days for public engagement.
Committee members highlighted the importance of providing ample time for public comment and ensuring that the application process is accessible to all sectors of society.
Committee chairperson Ms Liezl van der Merwe stated the portfolio committee is commitment to a fair, inclusive and lawful process in identifying new CGE commissioners.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WOMEN, YOUTH AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, MS LIEZL VAN DER MERWE.
For media inquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Yoliswa Landu (Ms)
Cell: 081 497 4694
E-mail: ylandu@parliament.gov.za
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