DA to now PAIA ANC provincial and regional cadre deployment records

27 February 2024

Note to editors: Please find attached pictures of the billboard unveiling here, here, here and here. 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) can today announce that we will now submit applications as per the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to obtain and expose all minutes and records from the ANC’s nine provincial and dozens of regional cadre deployment committees.

Using the precedent created in the DA’s Constitutional Court victory, which ordered the ANC to hand over complete records of its national cadre deployment committee, we will now pursue the same records from provincial and regional committees following evidence from the State Capture Commission, and a series of documents leaked to the DA which confirm the existence of these committees across provincial and municipal party structures.

The DA made the announcement today at an event in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng where we unveiled our billboard calling on voters to outlaw cadre deployment by voting for the DA on 29 May in South Africa’s General Election. The message on the billboard is simple: “Crush Corruption. Outlaw Cadre Deployment. Vote DA.”

Among the 1 300 pages of records from the ANC’s national cadre deployment committee obtained by the DA last week, is a particular minute from a meeting held at Luthuli House on 8 March 2019, which reads as follows:

“Need to reconcile the work of the Committee and the provincial deployment committees. Must meet with the Provincial Deployment Committees [sic].”

This minute confirms the existence of additional cadre deployment committees beyond the national committee that was chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa during the height of state capture. Additionally, a policy document that the ANC previously handed over to the State Capture Commission also confirms the existence of regional deployment committees.

This is further confirmed by two leaked documents that have come into the DA’s possession which we have listed and attached below:

1.    A set of minutes entitled “deployment committee meeting” dated 2 August 2023 from a regional deployment committee meeting in the North West province. The minute contains evidence of unlawful interference with administrative appointments in the Ratlou, Tswaing, Kagisano-Molopo, Kgetlengrivier, Madibeng, Maquassi Hills and Taung municipalities, as well as the provincial Department of Community Safety and Transport Management.

2.    A letter to “municipal managers, all directors and all senior managers” in municipalities in the ANC’s Chris Hani region of the Eastern Cape, directing them to meet with the regional committee and emphasising that “no apologies will be [accepted].”

On the basis of this overwhelming evidence that the ANC also has active provincial and regional cadre deployment committees which subvert legal appointment processes in ANC-controlled provincial and municipal governments, the DA will submit a fresh PAIA applications to the ANC to obtain meeting minutes, a list of decisions, WhatsApp conversations, email threads, CVs, and all other documents relevant to the work of all regional and provincial cadre deployment committees dating back to 1 January 2013, when Ramaphosa became the national chairman of this political racketeering syndicate.

The implications of these revelations could not be more serious. In addition to the national ANC cadre deployment committee that captured, corrupted, and collapsed national government departments, state-owned enterprises, and other national institutions, the exact same racketeering syndicate is also implemented by the ANC at provincial and municipal level to capture and control administrative appointments.

In terms of PAIA, the ANC has 30 days to comply with the DA’s application, which is based on the exact same rationale that led to our Constitutional Court victory. If the ANC fails to comply, the DA will see them back in court in 30 days. Just like we did in exposing the records of the national cadre deployment committee, the DA will defeat any attempt by the ANC to hide these provincial and regional records, because it is in the public interest to see how the ANC unlawfully interferes in public sector appointments which hollow out the state, facilitate corruption, and cripple the delivery of services to citizens.

Just like at national level, it is clear that the collapse of provincial and local government wherever the ANC is in power is no accident. It is the consequence of a carefully-designed ANC racket to capture, corrupt and collapse all spheres of government in South Africa. The DA reiterates our call to all citizens to help us rescue South Africa from ANC cadre deployment corruption by voting for the DA on 29 May.

Statement issued by Dr Leon Schreiber MP - DA Shadow Minister of Public Service and Administration, 27 February 2024