Pressure continues to mount on the DA to release records of its own cadre deployment after DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille blamed former leader Mmusi Maimane for apparently introducing the practice, which she claimed was done away with when she returned to the party.
However, Build One South Africa (Bosa), the party Maimane now leads, has challenged Zille to release the minutes of the Federal Executive (FedEx) meeting in which the cadre deployment policy within the party was introduced by Maimane.
Bosa spokesperson Roger Solomons said that when Maimane took office, Zille’s own cadre deployment policy “fit for purpose” was expunged in DA-led municipalities in the Western Cape and the provincial government.
“Release all minutes of any FedEx meeting where Mr Maimane was present which directed or dictated which individuals shall be appointed to any government departments or entity. In particular, any instance where senior officials such as municipal managers, or departmental executive directors and HODs were approved for appointment.
“Finally, to release the minutes of the meetings whereby Helen Zille’s nearest and dearest were appointed to senior positions in DA governments.
This includes the likes of Ryan Coetzee, Penny Tainton, Tim Harris and countless others. Such public allegations must be called out and the record must reflect the truth,” said Solomons.
Zille did not respond to questions for comment by deadline.
ANC President Cyril Ramphosa also called on opposition parties to disclose their own cadre deployment policies. His party was ordered to hand over the minutes and documents of its deployment committee from 2013 to 2021, to the DA.
The DA also sought for the courts to declare the ANC’s cadre policy unconstitutional.
“We have given our records and we now wait for other parties that have also had the cadre deployment experiences and processes, to also now reveal the records of their own federal committees.
“What we have always said is that the ANC deploys people on the basis of the ability to do the work and there is nothing sinister about deploying people to do the work that needs to be done,” he said.
Academic and political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu said: “Cadre deployment is not a problem. Everybody does it under different names or silently.
“The problem is when incompetent people with no requisite skills and knowledge are deployed. As for the call for the DA to produce its deployment documents, it is a correct one. What is good for a goose is good for a gander.”
Political analyst Dr Levy Ndou said releasing such records would prove that the DA also does cadre deployment.
“The ANC, Bosa and other parties could be challenging the DA because of the perception that it has created that it doesn’t practise this while they actually do.
“The other political parties want this to also come to light because there are many proofs they can present to back up the call. In the context of transparency and accountability it is important so that people know where political parties stand.
“At least this was something that was never hidden in the ANC. It has been known, but other political parties have been private and silent about it while practising cadre deployment,” said Ndou.
Cape Times