In response to the DA’s accusations regarding the ANC cadre deployment policy and deployment strategy, the ANC has issued a robust rebuttal aimed at dispelling what it views as a deliberate misinformation campaign.
The ANC emphasised its commitment to transparency and compliance with legal orders, particularly in light of a recent ruling by the Constitutional Court. President Cyril Ramaphosa stated in his testimony to the Zondo Commission that the ANC would do all in its power to find the records.
According to ANC spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, on Monday, “Dr Leon Schreiber and the DA are well aware of these facts but decided to engage in purposeful deception, threats, and false expectations about what may be contained in the records.
“Following the ruling of the Constitutional Court on February 12, the ANC is in a position to comply with the order of the court, and will do so by the end of business Monday.”
Bhengu-Motsiri added, “We have nothing to hide, addressing allegations of the concealment of information. Records relevant to the period 2018–2021 have already been submitted to the Zondo Commission and subjected to thorough scrutiny.”
With regard to allegations of deliberate misrepresentation, threats, and false expectations by the DA, the ANC urged Schreiber and the DA to acknowledge the facts.
“Dr Schreiber and the DA are fully aware of these facts, but have chosen to engage in deliberate misrepresentation,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.
The ANC confirmed Ramaphosa’s commitment to work with the Zondo Commission, promising to turn over all records that are accessible in accordance with the court order.
However, the it rejected the DA’s threats of contempt of court penalties and claimed it had complied with all applicable laws, including the Protection of Personal Information Act and the Promotion of Access to Information Act.
Furthermore, it said, efforts were made to comply with the regulations of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) to protect the personal information of those who had not agreed to its dissemination.
Bhengu-Motsiri, said: “The ANC urges Dr Schrieber to respect these persons’ rights and to use the records provided to him for the reasons stated in his PAIA application. It would be unfortunate if Dr Schreiber exploited the wonderful elements of our Constitution that provide citizens the right to knowledge for narrow party-political gain.”
In defence of its cadre development policy, the ANC highlighted its alignment with the constitutional goals of transformation, and cited examples from other countries. The party acknowledged past deployment issues but affirmed its pride in cadre members who had contributed to South Africa’s progress.
The ANC’s cadre development policy and deployment plan aim to advance the constitutional goal of transformation. Different parties pursue similar policies in several nations.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) research, “Analysis on Political Engagement in Senior Staffing and the Division of Responsibilities Between Ministers and Senior Civil Servants” (2007), bears testimony to this, the ruling party said.
According to the report, political engagement in governance is required for a democracy to function effectively. It enables a new political government to establish policy directions.
It is based on an accurate examination of various national systems globally, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa. The OECD is a multinational organisation with around 38 member countries, the majority of which are in the multinational North. South Africa, along with three other BRICS members, is an OECD associate member. Its primary purpose is to develop evidence-based global standards and address a variety of social, economic, and environmental challenges.
However, it is equally important to prevent public services from being misused for narrow political goals. Public services require technological expertise that is not affected by government changes.
The OECD report suggests that increasing political involvement in personnel decisions can be beneficial, as long as appropriate procedures are in place to regulate functional duties and prevent undue political intervention in the public sector.
The DA and all South African political parties engage in deployment techniques to recruit talented and adequately seasoned individuals to serve on parliamentary committees, boards, and senior administrative posts.
While it acknowledges that even though some past deployments were problematic, the ANC said it had “consistently deployed individuals with impressive qualifications and credentials, and is proud of its cadres achieved great outcomes for South Africa and are driving transformation with societal renewal in challenging socio-economic circumstances.”
The Star
Nobukhosi Tshabalala
nobukhosi.tshabalala@inl.co.za