CGE ANNUAL REPORT

2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT

3.

Chairperson’s Foreword

The Commission for Gender Equality (hereinafter “the CGE” or “the Commission”) has a critical con stitutional mandate in our country’s democracy and social transformation. For this reason, the Com mission seeks to be fit for purpose and to always have the capability and capacity to deliver on its mandate. For us to effectively fulfil this mandate, we must build synergy between our administration and governance structure. The year under review was a critical period of transition and change in both areas. In the last quarter of the year, I was appointed by His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa as Chairperson of the Commission together with four new Commissioners, namely: Adv Thando Gumede, Prabashni Subrayan-Naidoo, Leonashia Leigh-Ann van der Merwe, and Bongani Ngomane. These appointments followed the end of my first tenure in 2022 together with three other Commissioners, namely: Tamara Mathebula, Sediko Rakolote and

Adv Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale Chairperson

Dr Nthabiseng Moleko. We were part of a team that contributed immensely to the period under review. This was the period when the organisation continued with its program to turn itself around and re dedicate to an activist human rights entity that it is mandated to be. Ms Nomasonto Mazibuko, one of our commissioners since 2015, is now our Deputy Chairperson. We look forward to her continued contribution and leadership towards the growth and strengthening of the CGE. The newly appointed commissioners join Dibeela Mothupi, Lindiwe Ntuli-Tloubatla, Busisiwe Deyi and Ohara Ngoma-Diseko, who have collectively served the Commission from August 2019. With the arrival of new commissioners, we now have a full composition of commissioners ready and raring to go. The new Commissioners have brought much needed strategic leadership in the thematic areas in the entire organisations and at provinces where most of our programmes are planned and implemented. The strength of this cohort of commissioners is the diversity in educational training, social background, and experience in the areas of human rights, social justice and feminist advocacy. The Commission has a big task of ensuring effective interventions of the public and private sectors, and a big obligation to hold entities in these two sectors accountable where there is lack of commitment to implement gender transformation. It is this diverse background of Commissioners and staff that will enable the CGE to continue to grow and be more effective in our interventions.

6