President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday said he had requested Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng to go back to the drawing board on shortlisting candidates to fill the vacancy on the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

In a statement, Zuma’s office said they agreed with Parliament that the current shortlist provided by the selection panel chaired by Moegoeng did not have enough females and whites on it.

“Acting Speaker, Mr Lechesa Tsenoli, has informed the President that, having considered the report of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, the National Assembly has decided not to recommend a candidate for appointment by the President because the list….did not provide sufficient choice with regards to gender and race as provided by the Constitution,” Zuma’s office said.

“The list of candidates submitted to the National Assembly by the selection panel consists of eight names of which seven were African males and females and one was a white female.”

The vacancy on the IEC arose after Raenette Taljaard resigned as a commissioner in February this year.