Cape Town - The Western Cape’s first-elected Commissioner for Children, Christina Nomdo, has called for the process for the appointment of a new commissioner to start, indicating her intention to exit office following the completion of her first term.
Nomdo’s work as the inaugural Commissioner for Children officially started in June 2020 following a lengthy selection process, with the five-year term to end on May 31, 2025.
Nomdo has cited personal reasons for her decision to not run for a second term.
A commissioner may hold office for five years and may run for an additional term.
The commissioner works with the departments of Education, Health, Social Development, and Cultural Affairs and Sport, for the protection and promotion of the rights, needs and interests of children in the Western Cape.
A formal request has been made for the process for the appointment of a new commissioner to start.
Nomdo informed the Standing Committee on the Premier and Constitutional Matters in August of her intention to exit office after her first term.
The committee was also informed that while the office was established four years ago, it “continues to grapple with a meagre staff complement”, with only two permanent members and two contract workers.
Nomdo said: “It was an honour and privilege to serve the province as the first-ever Children’s Commissioner in the Western Cape and the first in the history of South Africa. So you would expect that the first office would need to go through a lot of teething pains before it actually gets established properly but there are also many joys and successes and achievements that we celebrate during this term. I am really very proud of the work that the team has done.”
She said three funded posts were vacant due to protracted recruitment processes and the lack of personnel impeded the ability to carry out the mandate of the Children’s Commissioner.
“We already knew from the very beginning that we wouldn’t be able to deliver on the full mandate of the commissioner’s office because the staffing allocation was not sufficient.
“I always say, you have a programme budget but that programme's budget requires staff to implement the programmes.”
A staffing structure of 12 persons was identified to carry out the mandate of the commissioner.
The commissioner’s office had a base budget of R5 million per year.
“In the initial year and first MTEF (first three years of the budget), we received R5 million for the establishment of the office and this by no means the amount it cost to employ 12 staff members.”
Nomdo said one of the biggest achievements in term was growing a cadre of child government monitors.
“These are child human rights defenders, under 18 years olds that are fighting for the rights of children.
“That are inputting on laws, on policies, that are speaking on African Union and United Nations platforms, national platforms, provincial platforms, to advance children’s rights.”
Nomdo encouraged the public to write to the Speaker of the Legislature to initiate the process of appointing a new commissioner and to publish a timeline for this.
Children’s rights organisation Molo Songololo director, Patric Solomons, said it was now time for children and their organisations to assess the work of the commissioner and what has since been achieved.
“This must be done and reviewed against the role, duties, and powers of the Commissioner for Children and if the commissioner was able to act independently without fear or favour.
“Molo Songololo is concerned that the institutional arrangement with the Premier’s office and the lack of oversight from the provincial legislature compromised the independence of the commissioner.”
He said Molo Songololo would over the next months be assessing more closely the work and impact of the commissioner.
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za