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The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has asked the Presidency, the Minister for Women, Children, Youth and Persons with Disabilities as well as the National Assembly Speaker's Office to urgently intervene and save the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) from collapsing due to poor management.

Scopa Chairperson Mr Themba Godi has suggested that, in view of its current status, the CGE be placed under curatorship within the next two weeks.

The Committee was forced to discontinue a hearing with the Commission today (Wednesday).

"We felt that with the absence of the bodies that have direct oversight functions over CGE, we would not achieve the objective of the meeting," said Godi.

The National Assembly's Speaker's Office, the Presidency and the Minister for Women, Children, Youth and People with Disabilities are all responsible for oversight over the CGE.

"The Committee is concerned about the state of the CGE which has been deteriorating over the years and renders it incapable of fulfilling its constitutional mandate," said the Chairperson.

CGE is a Chapter 9 institution tasked with supporting South Africa's democracy. "We will be calling them soon so that they can account for the poor management and usage of public funds as mentioned in their annual reports of 2007/08 and 08/09, which both had disclaimers according to the Auditor-General."

Mr Godi also said the Committee was concerned that oversight and management of Chapter 9 institutions was not treated as a matter of priority. "The CGE should not be allowed to disintegrate, thus reverse the hard-won gains in the advancement of the struggle for gender equality."