Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has warned the African National Congress (ANC) to hand over cadre deployment records by Monday or if they fail to do so they will return to court to seek a contempt order against leaders of the ruling party.
Steenhuisen told members of the DA who had gathered in Pretoria for the launch of their manifesto that the ANC approached them on Friday seeking an extension to hand over the records.
The DA had won its case in the Gauteng High Court for the ANC to hand over the cadre deployment records when President Cyril Ramaphosa was chairing the deployment committee from 2013.
Ramaphosa became chairperson of the committee after his election at the Mangaung conference in 2012 as deputy president of the ruling party.
But after losing the High Court, case the ANC went to the Supreme Court of Appeal and it lost again.
They approached the Constitutional Court and early this week the apex court dismissed the ANC’s application. It ordered the ruling party to hand over the records within a week.
Steenhuisen told party supporters on Saturday they will not give the ANC more time and they want them to hand over the cadre deployment records from January 2013.
He said they were on a mission to end cadre deployment.
“I have some breaking news in this regard. As you all know the Constitutional Court has given the ANC until Monday to hand over complete records of its cadre deployment committee dating back to January 1, 2013, when Ramaphosa was its chairperson.
“After delaying for more than three years following the DA;s initial request for these records to be made public to expose Ramaphosa’s role in state capture, the ANC yesterday came crawling back to the DA, begging us to give them more time.
“I would like to take this opportunity to respond to Ramaphosa and the ANC directly. No you cannot get more time. Not to hand over these records, and not in government. You have wasted South Africa’s time for long enough. You will comply with the Constitutional Court’s order by handing over these records by 5pm on Monday. If you fail to do son, the DA will use the precedent set in the Zuma case to go back to court for a contempt order that includes prison time for each and every one of the ANC’s leaders,” said Steenhuisen.
ANC national and Minister Mineral Resources Energy Gwede Mantashe promised in parliament this week, during the State of the Nation Address, that they will hand over the records to the DA as ordered by the court.
ANC MPL in the Western Cape Cameron Dugmore accused the DA of also using the cadre deployment policy in the province.
He said in 2022 they produced evidence that showed a senior Western Cape leader was giving instructions on who to employ in key positions in municipalities run by the DA.
IOL Politics