Cadre deployment under scrutiny as DA pushes for its nullification

Political commentator, Goodenough Mashego, believes getting rid of the ANC’s current deployment policy will ensure improved working conditions and service delivery, amongst other things.

“Doing away with the policy will ensure, as I have already alluded, better service delivery, better working conditions and better everything,” says Mashego.

Today, the DA returned to the high court in Pretoria, requesting leave to appeal a decision that dismissed the ANC’s GNU partner’s bid to have the liberation movement’s cadre deployment policy declared null and void.

It believes it lacks transparency and decision-making accountability.

The ANC has submitted to the court that its Government of National Unity (GNU) partner’s case is baseless, as it was never able to prove beyond doubt that the party’s cadre deployment strategy is to blame for erosion of service delivery in the country.

Judgment in the case has been reserved.

Mashego, however, likens some ANC cadres in public office as unlicensed pilots who are entrusted with flying a plane carrying civilians.

“…when the plane crashes, it is the same as when a municipality collapses because it is being led by a manager who knows nothing. When a parastatal collapses, it’s the same as a plane crashing because its being flown by somebody who doesn’t know,” remarks Mashego.

He says doing away with cadre deployment in its current form, will make room for a lot of improvements.

“Getting rid of cadre deployment – as the ANC does it – is going to improve a lot,” says Mashego.

He says way too many schools in the country have gone under administration since the dawn of democracy.

“The problem with the ANC’s cadre deployment is that it is not guided by a skills data base, whereby people are employed due to qualifications. …to a certain extent they just employ a cadre because he/she is unemployed and want to create a space in employment for the cadre,” adds Mashego.

Another political expert, Asiphe Mxalisa, believes the current cadre deployment at public institutions still needs reinforced transformation.

Mxalisa says the ANC’s deployment strategy, aimed at ensuring demographic representation and transformation, is being slammed due to its rationale being disregarded.

She says the fact that the country has witnessed damage to public infrastructure and the incapacity of some deployed cadres to hold office is among the issues that raise flags.

She also believes that public office should be held by deserving young people and women.

“We still do need transformation in public institutions. We could be looking at transformation in a different light, where we we ensure that young people who are coming from marginalised communities actually get access and mentorship to hold public office positions, as well as women who are more capable of holding those spaces,” remarks Mxalisa.

She says the DA most probably see the current deployment policy by the ANC as leading to corruption and progressing political patronage despite its much-needed transformative agenda in democratic South Africa. Written by Odirile Rabolao