Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has confirmed they will hand over cadre deployment records to the official opposition, as ordered by the Constitutional Court.
Mantashe told Parliament on Tuesday that the Democratic Alliance (DA) may criticise the African National Congress’ (ANC) policy of cadre deployment, when it has been able to transform the country in the last three decades.
He said when the ANC got into power in 1994 every director-general was a white man, most of the judges were white men and key positions in the state were held by white men.
However, the intervention of the ANC government led to the transformation of the public service.
The Constitutional Court ordered the ANC on Monday to hand over cadre deployment records to the DA within five days. The records must be from January 1, 2013.
This was at the time when President Cyril Ramaphosa was chairing the deployment committee of the ANC.
Mantashe said they have no issue with the decision of the court to hand over the records to the DA, but this policy must be understood in the context of transformation in the country.
“It has changed a situation where every DG was a white male in 1994. It has changed the reality where every judge was a white male, where every mayor was a white male. Cadre development has changed that reality.
“Run to court, do everything, but the reality of the matter is, we will do it. You will get your report, but we will continue deploying people who are capable,” said Mantashe.
The DA has accused the ANC of running the country into the ground because of its cadre deployment policy which puts people in top positions based on their loyalty to the party, rather than on merit or skills.
It said state capture led to the looting and theft, with no consequences for those who were behind it.
Ramaphosa appeared before the Zondo Commission where he was questioned about the deployment committee he chaired.
The Zondo Commission handed over its report in 2022 and Ramaphosa submitted it to Parliament.
Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said last week they were already implementing the recommendations of the report.
She said those who were implicated in the report have been referred to the Ethics Committee.
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