ANC loses appeal, must now hand over all info on cadre deployment

Today, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the Democratic Alliance (DA), compelling the African National Congress (ANC) to release its complete cadre deployment records dating back to 2013. This decision marks a significant victory for transparency and accountability in South Africa’s democracy.

The court’s judgment rejected the ANC’s appeal, and the prior ruling is now in force, requiring the ANC to provide the DA with all relevant documents, including meeting minutes, CVs, email threads, and Whatsapp discussions related to the cadre deployment committee within five working days. This ruling follows earlier judgments by the Gauteng High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal, affirming the public’s right to know about the ANC’s involvement in public sector appointments.

The case sheds light on how the ANC’s cadre deployment committee, chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa since 2013, may have influenced state capture by interfering in public appointments. This ruling sets a precedent for using the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to compel the ANC to disclose its cadre deployment practices.

The DA sees this victory as a crucial step in the fight against state capture, believing the records will reveal President Ramaphosa’s involvement in the state capture project. The party contends that cadre deployment undermines merit-based appointments, leading to state inefficiency and service delivery failures.

The DA views this legal victory as a pivotal moment in its campaign to abolish cadre deployment from South Africa’s political landscape. It encourages all South Africans who share this vision to support the party in the upcoming 2024 election.

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