DA heads to court next week to challenge ANC on cadre deployment

The DA is set to challenge the ANC’s cadre deployment policy in the North Gauteng High Court next week.

DA MP Leon Schreiber said this bid, scheduled to be heard on January 23-24, is to declare “cadre deployment corruption unconstitutional and unlawful”.

He said it is the “single most important court case” for rebuilding state capacity in the country’s democratic history.

“Through the evil practice of cadre deployment, the ANC illegally interferes in appointment processes to ensure corrupt cadres are appointed on the basis of their loyalty to the ANC, rather than on the basis of merit and skill,” Schreiber said.

He argued that the state capture inquiry confirmed that, and revealed it when it exposed minutes of the ANC’s cadre deployment committee in 2022.

“This practice forms the very foundation of state capture. Abolishing cadre deployment is therefore a fundamental prerequisite if we ever want to end load-shedding and halt the collapse of state institutions.”

The DA first filed its papers in 2022. The government is opposing the case.

Schreiber said the urgency of the case was confirmed by the ongoing electricity crisis.

“Every time the lights go off, it is a reminder of the devastating impact ANC cadre deployment has on hollowing-out state institutions, including Eskom. Last week ANC chair Gwede Mantashe shamelessly made it clear the party is dead set on again illegally interfering in the appointment process of new executive leadership at Eskom.”

Schreiber said that in response to a recent DA parliamentary question, justice minister Ronald Lamola disclosed that President Cyril Ramaphosa had used nearly R500,000 of taxpayer money to oppose the court case.

“No matter how much the ANC squeals in opposition, the DA is determined to use this court case to outlaw and abolish cadre deployment, whether the governing party likes it or not.”

He said the DA wants cadre deployment “assigned to the dustbin of history and replaced by strictly merit-based appointments throughout the public sector”.

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