Even though the ANC has indicated that it will not be commenting any further on the issue of its cadre deployment policy following a recent back-and-forth skirmish with its rivals, the DA, that has not stopped the party’s regional leader, Kgosi Maepa, from demanding from the DA in Tshwane its very own cadre deployment documents.
On Wednesday, Maepa called on the DA to furnish its own cadre deployment documents, while ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the party has noted the DA’s “cynical and hypocritical distortion” of the cadre deployment narrative.
This is as the war on cadre deployment policy continues to be a thorny issue among the two political parties.
Two weeks ago, the DA won the first battle, securing tranches of documents from the ANC’s deployment committee during the period it was led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, while last week the ANC rejoiced after the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, delivered a body blow to a crucial aspect of the DA’s fight against the policy – its bid to declare it unconstitutional.
On Wednesday, Maepa confirmed via his social media platform that he has written to DA leader Solly Msimanga, requesting that he furnish him with the DA’s cadre deployment documents as the DA has done to the ANC.
In the letter to Msimanga, sent through his lawyers, Malherbe Roos Attorneys, Maepa said the DA has in recent weeks involved itself in securing cadre deployment policy documents from the ruling party citing the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) as its guiding principle despite the documents being in the public domain.
“As you would be aware, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC) have recently been involved in an application premised upon, inter alia, the Promotion of Access to Information Act, No 2 of 2000 (the PAIA), and an ensuing challenge mounted against the policy known as cadre deployment.
“Despite the policy being in the public domain for several years, the constitutional challenge mounted against the policy (which was ultimately dismissed and which we understand is to be appealed against) at the cusp of the national elections is telling… Acting in accordance with the PAIA, our client has requested the following information from the DA. The minutes of the DA Federal Executive Council (FedEx) dated on or about 30th of September 2016. The resolution passed at the FedEx dated on or about the 30th September 2016,” the lawyers said.
In the letter, Maepa further demands the DA’s fit for purpose policies from 2016 as well as the party’s cadre deployment policy from 2016 all the way to January 2024.
“Acting in accordance with the PAIA policy, our client requests the resolution passed at the FedEx dated on or about 30 September 2016. The resolution passed at FedEx Council. The DA’s fit for purpose policy which governs the employment/deployment/appointment/recommendation of members of the DA to positions of power… Any amendments/revocations/additions/alterations made to the DA’s fit for purpose policy and/or the DA’s cadre deployment policy between the period September 2016 and January 2024,” the lawyers said.
Attempts to get comment from Msimanga were unsuccessful at the time of going to print.
The Star
siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za