By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula says the Democratic Alliance (DA) legal battle over the policy of cadre deployment was to reverse the gains made in the past to transform the country.
“The DA is profoundly dishonest and misleading the public in presenting itself as a party that does not deploy its members into the public service to pursue its policy agenda.”
The party was compelled to submit its cadre deployment documents to the DA following a lengthy legal battle.
The court directed the governing party to hand over complete meeting minutes, email correspondence, WhatsApp conversations, CVs and all other relevant documentation dating back from 2013.
On Wednesday, the High Court in Pretoria dismissed the DA’s application to have the ANC’s cadre deployment policy declared unconstitutional.
Addressing the media in Durban on Thursday, Mbalula said the ANC remains on track to implement its policies.
“The key elements of ANC Cadre Policy and Deployment Strategy are summarised in the 1997 policy document, including recruitment, education and training, deployment and redeployment, promotion, accountability, and reservation of cadres.”
“These key elements of our Cadre Policy and Deployment have guided the implementation of our national democratic transformation agenda, also referred to as the National Democratic Revolution – the total transformation of our country into a non-racial, non-sexist, united, democratic and prosperous society.”
“Mbalula accused the DA of launching “an ideological offensive to distort ANC cadre deployment policy”.
“There has also been a concerted effort by the anti-transformation forces to use the courts in their fight to slow down, stop or reverse the transformation agenda by trying to impose a conservative interpretation of the constitution and law of our republic.
“The DA’s spin-doctors and ideologues have invested heavily in churning out the false narrative that the policy and practice of cadre policy and deployment is an aberration in a democracy and is therefore unlawful and unconstitutional.”
“In this regard the DA pretends that all its deployees are merely recruited by the chance of merit and not a deliberate effort to advance the DA’s agenda.
“There is evidence in the City of Tshwane and the Western Cape that the DA itself has been practising its own version of cadre deployment of its leaders and members into positions of administration where the party governs.
“This includes a parallel process of the DA Federal Executive candidates for employment in DA-led municipalities as described by Alan Winde in a submission to the Public Protector in 2021, in which he correctly argued that such internal rules and policies are widespread [and] common.”
“He said the argument raised by the DA in court that cadre deployment was unconstitutional and unlawful was wrong. That is why the high court rejected its application on Wednesday.”
Mbalula meanwhile said former president Jacob Zuma is strengthening the hand of the party’s opponents.
“And he doesn’t think like that. He doesn’t see it. When you say you want to rescue the ANC, you will do it with your opponents, including your enemies, to rescue it from what I believe has gone wrong in the ANC. It doesn’t work like that because you are collaborating with the enemy. You can only rescue the ANC from within. If the ANC fails, Zuma will account for that. He would have contributed to its failure.”
Mbalula believes it will be Zuma’s conscience.
“There are people who believe in him, and there are opportunists who are with him who stand to benefit positions, patronage, and all of that. Their era of patronage is over, and they think they can get it through MK Party. And look at their names, that’s why there is a manifesto every weekend because there’s nobody who is in charge there. It is a party that was formed for a particular mission.”
A recent poll has predicted that the ANC could lose half of its 2019 votes in KZN to MK and drop to a 25% result.
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Video Courtesy of MYANC.