DA takes on ANC in court on 23 and 24 January to abolish cadre deployment corruption

18 January 2023

Note editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Dr Leon Schreiber MP.

In the buildup to our National Day of Action against ANC Load Shedding next Wednesday, the DA will face-off directly with the ANC in the North Gauteng High Court on Monday and Tuesday next week for our court challenge to declare cadre deployment corruption unconstitutional and unlawful.

This is, without any doubt, the single most important court case for rebuilding state capacity in South Africa’s democratic history. Through the evil practice of cadre deployment, the ANC illegally interferes in appointment processes to ensure that corrupt cadres are appointed on the basis of their loyalty to the ANC, rather than on the basis of merit and skill. As the Zondo Commission confirmed and as the DA revealed when we exposed minutes of the ANC’s cadre deployment committee last year, 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 urgency of this case is tragically confirmed by the ongoing electricity crisis that is destroying our country. Every time the lights go off, it is a reminder of the devastating impact that ANC cadre deployment has on hollowing-out state institutions, including Eskom. Just last week, ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe shamelessly made it clear that the party is dead set on, once again, illegally interfering in the appointment process of new executive leadership at Eskom. In addition to Mantashe’s arrogant statement confirming why the ANC’s headquarters at Luthuli House is the appropriate target for the DA’s protest action against load shedding, we will also be using this statement as further evidence for why a DA victory in this case is essential.

The ANC has repeatedly made it clear that it will never abolish this corrupt practice out of its own volition, because it is the very lifeblood of ANC corruption. The party has openly defied the Zondo Commission’s finding that this practice is unconstitutional. President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as President of the country, is even immorally abusing taxpayer money to oppose the DA’s case in a desperate attempt to protect ANC cadre corruption. In response to a DA parliamentary question, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola recently revealed that Ramaphosa has already abused nearly R500 000 of taxpayer money to oppose the DA’s war against cadre deployment corruption.

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 current governing party likes it or not. Victory in this case will also lay the foundation for the DA-led government that must arise after the 2024 election, wherein cadre deployment will be assigned to the dustbin of history and replaced by strictly merit-based appointments throughout the public sector.

Issued by Leon Schreiber, DA Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration, 18 January 2023