The ANC has handed over cadre deployment records to the DA. Picture: Timothy Bernard/Independent Newspapers
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has confirmed that it has received cadre deployment records from the African National Congress (ANC) following the Constitutional Court deadline of Monday.
The DA had threatened to take legal action if the ANC failed to meet the 5pm deadline on Monday.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said they handed over the records to the DA by the close of business.
“The ANC remains steadfast in its respect for the Constitutional Court and the laws of the Republic. The rule of law if a foundational stone of the National Democratic Society that we seek to build by working together with all South Africans.
“In pursuit of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society, the ANC will continue implementing its cadre development policy and deployment strategy to ensure that individuals with impressive qualifications, experience and credentials are deployed to build a better life for all South Africans,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.
DA MP and party spokesperson on public service and administration Leon Schreiber said they received the documents.
However, the DA is expected to study all the records to establish if the ANC complied with the order of the Constitutional Court in full to give the DA records dating back from January 1, 2013 when President Cyril Ramaphosa chaired the cadre deployment committee during his time as party and state deputy president.
The ANC had warned the DA earlier not to breach the Protection of Person Information Act (Popia) when it gets the records.
Schreiber said the fact that the ANC has given them the records was a victory for democracy and the rule of law.
“The DA will now study the records to ascertain whether the ANC has complied with the court order in full, which directed it to hand over complete meeting minutes, email correspondence, Whatsapp conversations, CVs and all other relevant documentation dating back to January 2013.
“If the ANC has erased and manipulated parts of the information, or sought to otherwise undermine the Constitutional Court’s order, the DA will launch further legal action to hold ANC leaders personally accountable,” said Schreiber.
He said once they have gone through the records they will make them public.
The ANC said earlier that the DA was also practising cadre deployment where it governs.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has done a study on this and found that even countries in the Global North practice cadre deployment.
This was not only done in South Africa. In democracies governing parties want to deploy their own people to ensure the implementation of their policies and programmes.
The Constitutional Court delivered its judgment last Monday where it gave the ANC five working days to give the DA cadre deployment records.
Ramaphosa started chairing the deployment committee after his election at the Mangaung conference 2012 as deputy president.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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