DA leader John Steenhuisen with party MP Leon Schreiber and chief whip Siviwe Gwarube outside the High Court. File Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
The African National Congress (ANC) has been given two weeks to hand over all records of the deployment committee when President Cyril Ramaphosa was chairing the committee for five years.
This follows the order of the High Court in Johannesburg which ruled in favour of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in their contempt order application.
The party brought the application after the ANC failed to hand over all the records of the deployment committee.
DA spokesperson on public service and administration, Leon Schreiber said they welcomed the court judgment that was delivered on Wednesday.
He said the ANC had defied an order issued by the Constitutional Court earlier this year which directed it to hand over all records of the deployment committee when Ramaphosa was chairing it.
The ANC was found guilty of contempt of court for not handing over the records as ordered by the court.
“The DA approached the court on an urgent basis on March 4, 2024 after the ANC unlawfully redacted, destroyed and withheld records of its cadre deployment committee dating back to January 1, 2013, when Cyril Ramaphosa became its chairman.
“The court today agreed with the DA that this behaviour by the ANC, in violation of a court order upheld by the Constitutional Court, amounts to ‘wilful’ and ‘male fide’ contempt of court,“ said Schreiber.
The ANC and the DA have been involved in a public spat over cadre deployment.
The official opposition has accused the ANC of destroying the economy and state-owned entities through the use of this policy.
However, Ramaphosa and senior officials in the party have defended cadre deployment, saying the DA was using it where it governs in the Western Cape and other municipalities.
Former DA mayor in the Midvaal Bongani Baloyi also said the DA’s Federal Executive was involved in the deployment of officials in senior positions.
This was denied by the official opposition.
But the ANC has called on the DA to release its own records of cadre deployment.
The ruling party has said this policy was not unique to South Africa, as it was implemented in many democracies.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics