'Loudmouthed, hypocritical' DA is against transformation, says Mbalula

The DA's anti-cadre deployment policy pursuit is hypocritical, dishonest and anti- transformation, says ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. 

Mbalula made the comments during a press conference on Thursday after the Pretoria high court dismissed a DA application to have the ANC's cadre deployment policy declared unconstitutional.

He said the DA’s legal action against cadre deployment, a long-standing ANC practice of appointing loyalists to key public sector posts, is tantamount to declaring transformation unlawful and illegitimate.

“The ANC has not made it secret that its primary mission is to eradicate all forms of colonialism, patriarchy and apartheid to empower those who were excluded and exploited — transformation is a constitutional imperative. 

“The DA-led right-wing forces opposed to transformation have launched an ideological offensive seeking to distort ANC cadre policy and deployment strategy — a false narrative has been pushed about the nature, purpose and actual purposes pertaining to the deployment of cadres,” Mbalula said.

The governing party cannot leave the advancement of its transformation agenda to chance by abandoning cadre deployment, he said. 

He maintained that candidates for deployment in strategic posts in the public sector were chosen based on education, patriotism, hard work and discipline.

Other attributes, he said, included expertise, aptitude, qualifications, experience and capability. 

“You can look at all the people we have deployed. We are the party of transformation. That is why even in our municipalities where there has been ineptitude due to the people we have deployed, we put a stop to that.”

To demonstrate that the policy was not just an ANC jobs scheme, Mbalula highlighted instances where members of opposition parties had been deployed by the ANC government. 

“There are also citizens who are not members of the ANC who have been deployed by our movement to key positions on account of their expertise and patriotism, including members and leaders of opposition parties. Some of the loudmouths of the DA today were deployed because we believe in unity in diversity.”

As part of its renewal project, Mbalula said, the ANC had tightened its internal controls to ensure that no unsuitable individuals were deployed in the name of cadre policy and ensured that law enforcement agencies were empowered to deal with those who misbehaved. 

He accused the DA of heaping all the blame for social and economic problems of South Africa onto the cadre policy and deployment strategy, adding that was neither serious, truthful nor helpful.

“Deep structural inequality, continuing racism, spatial and economic apartheid and the fact that the face of unemployment, poverty and inequality is black and female is apparently because of cadre deployment. This is not only ridiculous but is also incredible that the DA believes South Africans are stupid and forgetful.”

To tackle persistent disparities in society, Mbalula is adamant that transformation and genuine partnerships are required over “attacks” on cadre deployment.

He called on the DA to release its own mechanisms of deployment.

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