THE Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) will hope to move past the legacy of its embattled suspended CEO Phelisa Nkomo, through the permanent appointment of Dr Dennis Matotoka as its new head.
Matotoka’s appointment came after he stepped in, in an acting capacity, as a result of Nkomo having been suspended with immediate effect from June 19, 2023, from the CGE just five months after she was appointed to head up the organisation in January.
Nkomo was suspended by the commission’s chairperson, advocate Olave Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale. They insisted that the decision was "amicable", and that they considered the matter closed.
According to other reports, Nkomo allegedly lodged a same-sex harassment complaint, detailing the nature of the alleged harassment, the letter of which was sent to the commission through her legal team on June 6.
The suspended CEO also reportedly faced a grievance complaint submitted against her by provincial managers, resulting in "challenges" within the commission.
However as of January, the CGE announced that, as empowered by Section 187 of the Constitution and the CGE Act 39 of 1996, Section 7(1), following a rigorous process Matotoka had finally been appointed as the CEO of the organisation.
Even though his appointment took place in January, Matotoka only officially assumed his duties on Friday, May 3.
“His appointment will no doubt enhance the commission’s overall performance towards the realisation of its constitutional mandate. The commissioners, management and staff of the commission welcome Dr Matotoka in his new role,” a statement said.
Matotoka is an admitted attorney of the high court with more than a decade of experience as a legal practitioner.
He has published various academic papers on different disciplines of law in accredited journals, both nationally and internationally.
He co-authored a pension law handbook in the US-China Law Review.
The commission’s Javu Baloyi said as a result of his strong academic background, Matotoka had been instrumental in the drafting of legislative submissions, developing strategies to enhance the mandate of the CGE.
Saturday Star