The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) welcomes the latest development in the matter that involves the Mayor of Kannaland, Jeffrey Donson and Deputy Mayor, Wener Meshoa. Although the successful tabling of the motion of confidence ends Donson’s mayorship, it does not stop the investigation carried out by the Commission for Gender Equality on his re-election in spite of being a convicted sexual offender.

We aim for our investigation to contribute towards greater clarity on similar cases currently being handled by various Councils throughout the country, including the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) with regard to how to address issues of electoral candidates with convictions and/or facing allegations of gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual offences, going forward.

The case of Jeffrey Donson has highlighted the importance of proper background checks and risk assessments for candidates standing for public office prior to their names being formally confirmed as candidates for elections. The Commission’s findings and recommendations will be shared with interested parties once the investigation has been completed.

Source: Government of South Africa