Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, 1995 (Act No. 34 of 1995)Chapter 7 : General Provisions36. Independence of Commission |
| (1) | The Commission, its commissioners and every member of its staff shall function without political or other bias or interference and shall, unless this Act expressly otherwise provides, be independent and separate from any party, government, administration, or any other functionary or body directly or indirectly representing the interests of any such entity. |
| (2) | To the extent that any of the personnel of the entities referred to in subsection (1) may be involved in the activities of the Commission, such personnel will be accountable solely to the Commission. |
(3)
| (a) | If at any stage during the course of proceedings at any meeting of the Commission it appears that a commissioner has or may have a financial or personal interest which may cause a substantial conflict of interests in the performance of his or her functions as such a commissioner, such a commissioner shall forthwith and fully disclose the nature of his or her interest and absent himself or herself from that meeting so as to enable the remaining commissioners to decide whether the commissioner should be precluded from participating in the meeting by reason of that interest. |
| (b) | Such a disclosure and the decision taken by the remaining commissioners shall be entered on the record of the proceedings. |
| (4) | If a commissioner fails to disclose any conflict of interest as required by subsection (3) and is present at a meeting of the Commission or in any manner participates in the proceedings, such proceedings in relation to the relevant matter shall, as soon as such non-disclosure is discovered, be reviewed and be varied or set aside by the Commission without the participation of the commissioner concerned. |
| (5) | Every commissioner and member of a committee shall— |
| (a) | notwithstanding any personal opinion, preference or party affiliation, serve impartially and independently and perform his or her duties in good faith and without fear, favour, bias or prejudice; |
| (b) | serve in a full-time capacity to the exclusion of any other duty or obligation arising out of any other employment or occupation or the holding of another office: Provided that the Commission may exempt a commissioner from the provisions of this paragraph. |
| (6) | No commissioner or member of a committee shall— |
| (a) | by his or her membership of the Commission, association, statement, conduct or in any other manner jeopardize his or her independence or in any other manner harm the credibility, impartiality or integrity of the Commission; |
| (b) | make private use of or profit from any confidential information gained as a result of his or her membership of the Commission or a committee; or |
| (c) | divulge any such information to any other person except in the course of the performance of his or her functions as such a commissioner or member of a committee. |