Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
03 March 2024 | 06:07 CAT

The fight over cadre deployment records between the DA and ANC reached Parliament on Friday. Image: DA website

The DA says it plans to bring a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to force the ANC’s regional and provincial offices to also hand over their cadre records, following an order made by the Constitutional Court that the ANC must hand over records of its national deployment committee. The ANC handed over these records on Monday last week.

DA MP Leon Schreiber, who has been heading the party’s mission, announced in Parliament on Friday during a mini-debate on professionalising the public service.

The DA said since the court compelled the ANC to hand over its cadre deployment records, it has been inundated with whistleblower accounts of improper appointments in the civil service.

Schreiber said his party’s mission to expose these appointments is far from over.

“The DA is filing fresh papers to hold ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, in contempt of court for failing to comply with the Constitutional Court’s order, that complete national cadre deployment records dating back to 1 January 2013, must be handed over,” says Schreiber.

Among the 1 300 pages of records from the ANC’s national cadre deployment committee obtained by the DA last week is a particular minute from a meeting held at Luthuli House on 8 March 2019, which reads as follows:

“Need to reconcile the work of the Committee and the provincial deployment committees. Must meet with the Provincial Deployment Committees [sic].”

“This minute confirms the existence of additional cadre deployment committees beyond the national committee that was chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa during the height of state capture. Additionally, a policy document that the ANC previously handed over to the State Capture Commission also confirms the existence of regional deployment committees,” the DA stated.

“In terms of PAIA, the ANC has 30 days to comply with the DA’s application, which is based on the exact same rationale that led to our Constitutional Court victory. If the ANC fails to comply, the DA will see them back in court in 30 days. Just like we did in exposing the records of the national cadre deployment committee, the DA will defeat any attempt by the ANC to hide these provincial and regional records, because it is in the public interest to see how the ANC unlawfully interferes in public sector appointments which hollow out the state, facilitate corruption, and cripple the delivery of services to citizens,” says the DA.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily round Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and DA MP Leon Schreiber, Here.