Deputy President Paul Mashatile has defended cadre deployment, saying the African National Congress (ANC) was not shy to talk about it.
He said the ANC has trained some of the senior public servants in Europe and the United States.
Mashatile said the Democratic Alliance (DA) was also practicing cadre deployment where it governs.
The ANC and the DA have been fighting over cadre deployment over the last few weeks. The DA has filed a urgent application for contempt order against the ANC after it failed to hand over all records of the deployment committee when President Cyril Ramaphosa was chairing it.
But Mashatile said there was nothing with cadre deployment.
The deputy president was answering questions in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday on a range of issues.
DA member Kathleen Labuschagne said the ANC’s cadre deployment policy was unlawful.
But Mashatile said there was nothing with the policy as the DA was also practicing it where it governs.
“If you want to know about cadre development, I will make time for you to talk about that because it is such a brilliant programme that all parties in the world (practice) it. If the DA does not develop its cadres then you are deploying people who are not fit for purpose.
“We, in the ANC, make sure that if someone has to go and lead in any sector they have the requisite skills to be able to do so. That is what cadre development is all about. We are not shy to talk about it. We are not embarrassed because a lot of the people in the public service today, top people have been trained by the ANC.
“Many of the people have been trained by the ANC, some of them sent to best schools in Europe and America. That is cadre development,” said Mashatile.
Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration Chana Pilane-Majake also defended cadre deployment in parliament last week.
She said the DA practiced the same policy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also called on the DA to make available records of its deployment committee.
This was after former DA mayor in Midvaal Bongani Baloyi said a few weeks ago that the DA’s Federal Executive was practicing cadre deployment.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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