The African National Congress (ANC) in the provincial legislature has filed a formal application under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) against the Democratic Alliance (DA) to obtain all records related to cadre deployment in the Western Cape.
Cameron Dugmore, leader of the ANC in the legislature, said the party reason to believe that the ANC was employing its own people in the province and that it interfered when it came to hiring senior managers and directors.
The ANC is requesting all the DA’s correspondence, including all communications via SMS, WhatsApp, telegram, email, direct messages on Facebook, and X from the party to structures or individuals from the party related to the appointment of public servants or officials in the Western Cape municipalities and the Western Cape government departments.
“The PAIA application was submitted on Monday, and in terms of the legislation, the information officer of the DA has 30 days in which to provide that information.
“There is also a provision in PAIA that the party concerned or the organisation concerned can ask for an additional 30-day period.
“So in other words, it’s 30 days from yesterday.”
Dugmore produced a series of letters to the media, saying that the letter proves that the DA has been practising cadre deployment.
“If you have a look at the documents in front of you, you will notice that the first attachment is actually a letter dated January 17, 2022, which was then sent to the then-acting leader of the Democratic Alliance in the province, Albert Fritz. and this particular letter you would see asks for all information regarding appointments since 2009 to date, including all minutes and correspondence.
“I want to put on record that this letter was never ever responded to by Fritz, so there was absolutely no response, not even an acknowledgement of receipt, from Fritz,” Dugmore said.
Tertuis Simmers, leader of the DA in the province, said: “In our efforts to rescue South Africa from the ANC, the DA managed to force the ANC to finally disclose the details of years of cadre deployment that have been the main source of the horrific state our country is in.
“Now, in a feeble attempt to respond, they could think of nothing better but copying the DA. In this case, however, they will be utterly disappointed. We don’t do cadre deployment and never will. We haven’t a single thing to hand over.
“The DA is guided by its values and principles of freedom, fairness, opportunity, and diversity, and we are proud of our meritocratic system of appointment, as reflected in our candidate lists for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.”