WeeklySA_AdminDUEL: The DA accused of being a propaganda machine whose real aim is to challenge transformational policies…
By Monk Nkomo
The Democratic Alliance’s court challenge of the ANC’s cadre deployment policy has come back to haunt them as they are now labelled hypocrites after some of their former senior members confirmed that they were also practicing the same policy where they governed.
In a stunning revelation that had probably rattled the opposition party last week, their former Mayor of Midvaal, Bongani Baloyi, confirmed that this was a standard procedure that had not changed. He challenged the DA that if they had nothing to hide they must release minutes of their Federal Executive meetings.
‘’ It is true that the DA practice cadre deployment. When I was mayor of Midvaal between 2013 – 2021, the municipality could not conclude a senior staff appointment without the approval of the FEDEX ( Federal Executive). It was standard procedure that all mayors apply to get the approval of FEDEX before the municipality conclude the appointment. This practice hasn’t changed. The DA practiced the same cadre deployment that the ANC practiced,’’ said Baloyi in a statement.
The DA’s dirty linen was also exposed to the public by television commentator, JJ Tabane last week when he labelled the DA hypocrites after having received a letter allegedly written by Anton Bredell, who was the DA provincial leader in 2018, in which he was complaining that the mayor of George municipality was not following party instructions when filling in vacancies.
‘’ The DA, just relax. You are hypocrites. In the Western Cape where you govern, you deploy your own cadres. Don’t lie to us. You are a bunch of hypocrites. Do not lie to us and make us children’’, said Tabane on his TV talk show. He challenged the DA to submit records of their cadre deployment policy.
The letter, which was written in Afrikaans and dated May, 2018, was also sent to the Speaker, Chief Whip and Chairperson of Council urging the George municipality mayor not to go ahead with the appointment of someone who had been recommended for the position of Director of Corporate Services. The letter partly read ‘’ …. You are hereby asked in a friendly way to NOT proceed with this appointment before you get permission from the Federal office… You are aware that appointments must be signed off by the FEDEX ( Federal Executive – the DA’s highest decision – making body) and the following information is requested : the scoping report from the consultant and the recommendation that the consultant has made to the council..’’ According to Dugmore, the DA was unhappy with the candidate who had scored more points during interviews. That person was a black official with a lot of experience. The selection panel, dominated by the DA’s conservative grouping, proposed a White male who had scored less points for the position.
In their pursuit of digging deeper into the ANC’s cadre deployment policy, the DA at last received the ANC records last week following a Constitutional Court order. They however failed in obtaining an order in the Pretoria High Court declaring the deployment policy unconstitutional. Shortly after these events, the DA threatened contempt of court action against the ANC Secretary- General, Fikile Mbalula, claiming that certain documents were missing.
Thereafter the floodgates opened of people lashing the DA for its double standards as they were also practicing the same policy where they governed. In a dramatic turn of events, former DA leader Mmusi Maimane, who is now leader of Build One SA (BOSA) political party, hit back at the DA’s Federal Executive chairperson, Helen Zille, for what he termed ‘’ spurious allegations’’ made against him in a tweet on X – formerly twitter – in which she alleged that the practice of cadre deployment was introduced at the DA under its former leader, Maimane. When she ceremoniously returned, it was quickly done away with.
In a statement released by Roger Solomons, spokesperson of BOSA, Maimane denied Zille’s allegations. “ This is simply not true. There was no such policy in the DA under Mr. Maimane. In fact, when he took office, Zille’s own cadre deployment policy – ‘fit for purpose’ – was expunged. That policy led to what appears like a patronage network of DA persons and affiliates in the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government.
Maimane challenged the DA to release the minutes of the meetings whereby ‘’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.’’
He also asked the DA to release minutes of meetings where he was present in directing or dictating which individuals should be appointed to government departments or entity. Mbalula labelled the DA a propaganda machine whose real plan was to have transformational policies declared unlawful.
‘’The DA is profoundly dishonest and misleading the public in presenting itself as a party that does not deploy its members into the public service to pursue its policy agenda. In this regard, the DA pretends that all its deployees are merely recruited by the chance of merit and not a deliberate effort to advance their agenda.’’
WHAT THEY SAID:
- ‘’ The DA, you are a bunch of hypocrites. Do not fool us. In the Western Cape where you govern, you deploy your cadres. Don’t come here and make us children. You must be transparent and release your own cadre deployment records…’’
— JJ Tabane, TV Commentator.
- The DA is profoundly dishonest and misleading the public in presenting itself as a party that does not deploy its members into the public service to pursue its policy agenda. In this regard, the DA pretends that all its deployees are merely recruited by the chance of merit and not a deliberate effort to advance the DA’s agenda.’’
-— Fikile Mbalula, ANC Secretary- General.
- ‘’ It is true that the DA practice cadre deployment. That practice has not changed. It was standard procedure that all mayors apply to get the approval of the Federal Executive before the municipality would conclude the appointment. If the DA has nothing to hide, they must release the minutes of the FEDEX and you will see that they practised the same cadre deployment like the ANC’’
— Bongani Baloyi, former mayor of Midvaal ( 2013 -2021)
- ‘’ The DA was celebrating the outcomes of cadre deployment. Those celebrating this outcome are the biggest hypocrites you will ever find’’. —– ANC MP in the Western Cape, Cameron Dugmore.
- The DA is a propaganda machine whose real plan is to have transformational policies declared unlawful .’’
—- Fikile Mbalula.
- ‘’ The DA was unhappy with a candidate who had scored the most points during interviews. The person that scored the most points was a black official with a lot of experience but the selection panel, dominated by the DA’s conservative grouping, proposed a white male who had scored less. So, besides undue interference, the DA was in essence reversing employment equity’’.
— Cameron Dugmore, ANC MP in Western Cape .
