The African National Congress must hand over to the Democratic Alliance all documents pertaining to the work of its cadre deployment committee since the beginning of 2013.
This ruling was issued by the Gauteng High Court on Thursday in a case brought by DA MP Leon Schreiber, following a request in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act in 2021. The ANC had declined to supply the material.
Schreiber argued that the activities of the ANC’s deployment committee needed scrutiny. It was necessary to understand exactly how the system operated and what its implications were. He as a public representative had a duty of oversight. Information on the deployment process would be invaluable when challenging unlawful appointments.
The information requested would include minutes of meetings, communications conducted via email or WhatsApp, CVs and other records.
The beginning of 2013 was when then Deputy President Ramaphosa took over the chair of the committee.
Schreiber said in a statement: ‘South Africans will for the very first time be able to see not only Ramaphosa’s personal complicity in state capture as chairman of the committee, but they will also get to see the full truth of how the appointment of ANC cadres on the basis of loyalty to the party rather than on merit is the true cause of our country’s rapidly failing state.’
The ANC has indicated that it will appeal the judgement. It has also previously claimed that documents covering the period prior to 2018 do not exist.