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African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Fikile Mbalula has challenged the Democratic Alliance (DA) to share with South Africans its own minutes and records of deployment decisions and explain what policies underpin them.

On Wednesday, the ANC released its cadre deployment committee records on its website, which it said was done in the interest of transparency, accountability and informed public debate on cadre development and deployment.

This after the DA, following a recent court order that the ANC must furnish the opposition party with the records of the ANC's cadre deployment committee, released the records publicly on its own website.

Meanwhile, the High Court delivered its judgment on Wednesday in the DA's long-standing battle to have the ANC's cadre deployment policy declared unconstitutional and unlawful, dismissing the DA's legal bid with costs.

Mbalula addressed the media on Thursday, saying that the narrative that the deployment of cadres was unconstitutional and unlawful had no basis in law, citing that the High Court "correctly" found that the DA failed to point to any Constitutional text that supported their claims.

"In other words, in pursuit of what kind of society and on whose behalf is the DA governing in the Western Cape and several municipalities? The ANC awaits the release of the DA records of deployment with bated breath," said Mbalula.

He noted that the High Court verdict was straightforward: "There is nothing unconstitutional about a political party influencing the policy direction of a government, including the appointment of senior personnel to public service, so long as the public service is protected against being misused for partisan purposes…" he said.

He lashed out at the DA, saying it opposed transformation by launching an "ideological offensive" that he said had deliberately and systematically sought to fundamentally distort ANC cadre policy and deployment strategy.

He stated that the DA was "profoundly dishonest" and that it was misleading the public in presenting itself as a party that did not deploy its members into the public service to pursue its policy agenda.

Mbalula said there was no law preventing a private body, such as a political party, from discussing potential candidates for any position.

"What is wrong is where the prescribed legal processes are not followed in the appointment of individuals…" he added.

He explained that there was evidence in the City of Tshwane and in the Western Cape that the DA had been practising its own version of deployment of its leaders and members into positions of administration where the party governed.

This, he said included a parallel process of the DA Federal Executive candidates for employment in DA-led municipalities as described by Alan Winde in a submission to the Public Protector in 2021, in which he correctly argued that such internal rules and policies were "wide-spread [and] common".

Meanwhile, Mbalula highlighted that at the Zondo Commission, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, made the point that there was nothing wrong with the cadre policy itself but there were known weaknesses in its application in instances where merit was not observed.

"It is the ANC's view that the practice of cadre deployment should not be inconsistent with the principles of fairness, transparency and merit in the appointment of individuals in public entities. Cadre deployment cannot be faulted in principle; it is a common feature of democratic practice around the world," explained Mbalula.

"It is our firm view as the ANC that a proper and full implementation of cadre policy as defined in our documents will help to speed up transformation and service delivery," he added.

South Africa's headline consumer inflation quickened to 5.3% year on year in January from 5.1% in December, data showed on Wednesday.

Key contributors to the annual inflation rate included food, housing, utilities and transport, according to a Statistics South Africa report.

At its last monetary policy meeting in January, the central bank said it wanted to see a clearer disinflation trend before cutting interest rates.

The South African Reserve Bank likes to see inflation around the mid-point of its 3% to 6% target range.

Core inflation, which excludes food and fuel prices, accelerated in January to 4.7% in annual terms from 4.5% in December.

The African National Congress (ANC) said on Wednesday that it will release its cadre deployment committee records on its website, in the interests of transparency, accountability and informed public debate on cadre development and deployment "by all political parties".

This after the Democratic Alliance (DA), following a recent court order that the ANC must furnish the DA with the records of the ANC's cadre deployment committee meetings, released the records publicly on its own website on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the ruling party also welcomed the high court judgment that dismissed with costs the DA's application to have the ANC's cadre deployment strategy declared unconstitutional.

The ANC said the DA's bid was legally unsound and hypocritical.

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri noted that the party would continue to implement its cadre development policy and deployment strategy to "ensure that individuals with impressive qualifications, experience and credentials are deployed to build a better life for all South Africans".

The ANC highlighted that it remained steadfast in its respect for the Constitution and the laws of the republic.

"We note with concern that despite the fact that these records were applied for by DA's Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Leon Schreiber in his capacity as a member of Parliament, and that court explicitly ruled that the DA was not entitled to the documents, they are now being released publicly, in a piecemeal and distorted manner," said Bhengu-Motsiri.

She said that this was a clear abuse of the provisions of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, while the latest move by the ANC to publicise the records sought to give effect to the right to information entrenched in the country's Constitution.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it was disappointed in the judgment handed down in the Gauteng High Court dismissing its bid to have cadre deployment declared unconstitutional.

The party has instructed its legal team to appeal the ruling as a matter of urgency.

The High Court delivered its judgment on Wednesday in the DA's long-standing battle to have the African National Congress' (ANC's) policy of cadre deployment declared unconstitutional and unlawful, and dismissed the DA's legal bid with costs.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said that while the party respected the judgment, it believed that a number of errors in law and in interpretation had been made.

He said there was significant underestimation of the "scourge" of cadre deployment and its terrible effects on South Africans and the circumstances in which many of the country's citizens found themselves.

"…But we will appeal it to the SCA [Supreme Court of Appeal] and potentially direct it to the Constitutional Court. We believe that there can be no greater constitutional imperative than to deal with this particular matter and its effects on South Africa," Steenhuisen said.

He noted that if cadre deployment was continued and supported in its current form, it would continue to undermine the State and continue to cause great harm to South Africans and their prospects for the future.

He also quoted Chief Justice Raymond Zondo's comments made at the Zondo Commission, in which he said that it should be illegal for anybody to influence the appointment of people based on nothing other than a party affiliation.

The DA maintains that the practice of cadre deployment is a violation of constitutional provisions.

"And we believe the judgment has missed out on this significantly," he said.

Meanwhile, the DA, in the related matter of the ANC being ordered by the courts to furnish the DA with the records of the ANC's cadre deployment committee, has uploaded the cadre deployment minutes and documents which have so far been supplied to the party's website, allowing the public access to the information.

Steenhuisen highlighted that the cadre deployment minutes influenced judicial appointments and various other key appointments across the State. He said this was a clear violation of the principle of the separation of powers, and added that the DA believed that the court, in this latest verdict, had not taken the "terrible effect" of cadre deployment into account.

"The ANC's deployment committee interfered in appointments across the State, and even extended its tentacles in the judiciary. There can be no more urgent constitutional matter than challenging a governing party that, by its own admission, has obliterated the distinction between party and State in order to capture institutions for its own advantage," said DA Shadow Minister of Public Service and Administration Dr Leon Schreiber.

He added that all this had been underscored by the ANC's own records.

Meanwhile, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula said the court's ruling on the party's cadre deployment policy was a win for political party autonomy and ensured that public institutions were staffed by those who aligned with the ANC's policies and goals.

Mbalula said the ANC's focus was now on its manifesto launch and that the party would continue encouraging more South Africans to register to vote, as it worked towards a decisive victory in the May 29 elections.

ActionSA President Herman Mashaba said on Tuesday that South Africa's current unemployment and fiscal crisis is a manmade disaster by the ruling African National Congress, following years of mismanagement and corruption.

Stats SA released the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the fourth quarter of 2023, indicating a decrease in the number of employed persons by 22 000 to 16.7-million.

The number of unemployed persons increased by 46 000 to 7.9-million during the same quarter. Additionally, the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement increased by 218 000 to 13.4-million, while discouraged work-seekers decreased by 107 000 in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2023.

Mashaba said the "disastrous" fourth quarter unemployment statistics indicated that unless South Africans change their national government in the upcoming elections, the country will see a further decline in employment opportunities and economic growth.

He despite repeated promises by the ruling government, including most recently by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation Address that South Africa is turning the tide against job losses, the quarterly labour force survey showed that the current policy approach is not working.

Meanwhile, the Quarterly Labour Force Survey showed that the Western Cape is now just 0.4% away from unemployment falling below 20% in the province, with unemployment sitting at 20.3%.

The publication also showed that unemployment in the province is down, on the official definition, by 2.2% points year-on-year - which is the biggest decrease in South Africa.

Premier Alan Winde said this is promising news for the people of the Western Cape.

Winde said that he is elated that the province's action is making a difference in the lives of residents.

He outlined in his State of the Province Address how the Western Cape Government has decisively acted to enable job creation, provide quality education, extend healthcare to those most in need, and boost safety for citizens.

GAUTENG UNEMPLOYMENT

Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Shadow MEC for Economic Development Patrick Atkinson stated that Gauteng residents have once again been failed by the provincial government, which he said had promised to create more employment opportunities.

Atkinson noted that despite many promises made by Premier Panyaza Lesufi about concrete plans to curb the unemployment rate in the province, his interventions are clearly not working.

Furthermore, he said the Gauteng Department of Economic Development has constantly failed to meet its job creation targets, which also has a negative impact on the unemployment rate.

He highlighted that the Gauteng Provincial Government's job is to create a conducive environment to attract the local and international private sector to invest in the country's economy.

"However, if we do not clamp down on corruption, crime, and loadshedding, this will deter potential investors," explained Atkinson.

The DA said it has a plan to rescue Gauteng and create a conducive environment that will help create sustainable job opportunities.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it will study the African National Congress' (ANC's) cadre deployment records to ascertain whether it has fully complied with the court order, which directed it to hand over complete meeting minutes, email correspondence, WhatsApp conversations, CVs and all other relevant documentation, dating back to January 2013.

After more than three years of "determined lawfare activism" the DA succeeded in its quest to force the ANC to hand over its cadre deployment committee records, dating back to when President Cyril Ramaphosa became chairperson of its deployment committee, which the DA says helped facilitate State capture.

DA Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Dr Leon Schreiber said if the ANC had erased or manipulated parts of the information, or sought to otherwise undermine the Constitutional Court's order, the DA would launch further legal action to hold ANC leaders personally accountable.

"As soon as we have processed the voluminous documentation, the DA will fulfill our longstanding undertaking to make public the ANC's dirty cadre secrets for every South African to see," said Schreiber.

Meanwhile, he noted that the victory for transparency and the rule of law came after the ANC was forced to "bend the knee" before the DA in court, where the DA won three successive battles, with cost orders, extending all the way to the Constitutional Court.

"Today's victory is yet another important landmark on the DA's journey towards abolishing cadre deployment corruption from the face of South Africa. ANC cadre deployment laid the foundation for State capture, for systemic corruption, and for the service delivery collapse that caused loadshedding, water-shedding, and the accelerating failure of the state," explained Schreiber.

Political parties want Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to focus his Budget Speech on the country's economic growth crisis.

Godongwana will, on Wednesday, present the budget allocation for 2024 to Parliament, in Cape Town City Hall.

GOOD secretary-general and MP Brett Herron said that South Africa had a poverty crisis, an unemployment crisis, and a low economic growth crisis, explaining that it needs between 5% and 6% of economic growth to create employment to meaningfully reduce extreme poverty.

Herron highlighted that the current projected growth, of 1% this year and 1.3% next year, was insufficient to address unemployment and poverty.

"To get the economy growing the Minister of Finance must avoid the introduction of austerity measures - budget cuts to infrastructure, and key programmes and services. Introducing austerity measures will exacerbate contraction of our economy and entrench the staggering suffering of the poorest people of this country," he said.

He added that if Godongwana failed to comprehensively address that crisis then he would doom the country to extended low economic growth and deepening poverty and unemployment.

GOOD said the Minister must invest in the basics of economic growth: infrastructure, electricity supply, freight transport networks, water infrastructure and digital communications.

NEW DEBTS

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) expects the Minister to announce an increase in infrastructure development projects, particularly in rural areas, this includes roads, bridges, town-planning, new bulk water and stormwater drainage and sewer systems.

"After 30 years controlling the purse strings of the public's money, the ANC [African National Congress] must be cautioned to not fiscally dump finances onto quick election-winning projects to curry favour with the electorate," the IFP said.

The party cautioned Godongwana against delivering a speech that will only "sound nice" to the electorate but that cannot be implemented by government.

"It is our hope that the ANC does not commit government's resources to pie-in-the-sky plans or take on any new debt, that will likely result in setting up the next government for failure," the IFP explained.

FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY

African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) MP Steve Swart said that National Treasury's most recent February data showed that public finances were in a poor state and had worsened since November's Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), with the budget deficit expected to widen from February's Budget forecast of 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) and then 4.9% in November, to 6% of GDP.

Swart explained that this fiscal slippage was largely owing to lower revenue performance, lower economic growth (expected at 0.5% of GDP), a higher public sector wage bill, and higher debt service costs.

"This delays attempts at fiscal consolidation, with gross debt to GDP set to escalate from last February's projected 72.2%, and November's 74.7%, and now expected to peak at 77.7% in 2025/26, as projected," he said.

This was far higher than the debt ratio of 60% that was generally seen as the maximum sustainable debt ratio for an emerging economy like South Africa, he added.

In view of this, the ACDP expects further details, in Thursday's Budget Speech, of additional rules required to provide an anchor for fiscal sustainability alluded to in November's MTBPS.

Swart said lower economic growth had largely been caused by ongoing loadshedding and severe challenges with logistics, both rail and ports, as well as reduced demand for commodities.

He explained that fiscal consolidation would be far more difficult to achieve in this election year, saying it was assumed that the Social Relief of Distress Grant paid to about 8-million people would come to an end in March 2024.

There are also further pressures for bail-outs to State-owned enterprises, such as Transnet, which has requested a R47-billion equity injection or loan, as well as for taxpayers to take over R61-bill...

With the recent Constitutional Court ruling that requires the African National Congress (ANC) to hand over records relating to its cadre deployment committee within five days, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said at the party's election manifesto launch that the ANC has asked for more time, as the Monday deadline looms.

A sea of blue was set out in front of the Union Buildings on Saturday, as the opposition party launched its 2024 National Manifesto, which it promised would not amount to empty promises.

Addressing the crowd, Steenhuisen said the ANC, on Friday, asked the DA for more time to hand over the records.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to respond to [President Cyril] 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 17h00 on Monday.

The DA warned that it would go back to court for a contempt of court order if the ANC did not comply.

He accused the ANC of being "desperate to hide Ramaphosa's 'cadre secrets'".

'HELP IS ON THE WAY' - DA'S RESCUE PLAN FOR SA

Steenhuisen set out the top priorities for the party if it came into power through the Multi-Party Coalition, and it included job creation, an end to water and energy cuts, halving the rate of violent crime, ending corruption that resulted from cadre deployment, taking 6-million people out of poverty, growing the number of grade four learners who could read for meaning and ensuring quality healthcare for everybody.

Steenhuisen said while it was easy for parties with no government track record to read out their plans for change, he promised that the DA's "rescue plan for South Africa" was not "pie in the sky".

"But South Africans are tired of empty promises. They are tired of hearing about bullet trains when the trains they used to take no longer run. They are tired of hearing about industrialisation plans when the factories where they used to work have closed due to loadshedding. They are tired of hearing about smart cities when they don't even feel safe walking the streets where they live. What the DA offers you today, are not populist promises, but solemn pledges," he said to the crowd.

He laid the blame for South Africa's challenges squarely on the ANC, led by Ramaphosa, and accused the ANC of betraying the nation and keeping the youth from succeeding.

He said the 2024 national elections, the date of which was yet to be announced, would not be about fulfilling the 1994 dream, but rather it would be about the survival of the South African dream.

He chastised Ramaphosa for only focusing on one "child of democracy", Tintswalo, in his latest State of the Nation Address.

"No matter what your name is, no matter how old you are, no matter where you come from, I want to say to you: over the past 30 years, we have all grown up as democracy's children. But we should probably not be too surprised that Ramaphosa excluded from his speech Aunty Fatima from Eldorado Park, farmer Johan from Citrusdal, and Keshav, the entrepreneur from Chatsworth. After all, this is the same man who deliberately excluded Dricus du Plessis from recognition as our country's first-ever mixed martial arts world champion, purely because he refuses to keep quiet about ANC corruption. Dricus, the DA salutes your courage, inside and outside the octagon - just like we salute Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, our under-19 cricketers, and every other sportsperson who keeps the hope alive that we can be a winning nation," Steenhuisen said.

He pointed to the success of the Western Cape and said where the DA governed eight out of ten people were employed and loadshedding was reduced. He referenced the recently launched programme that allowed Cape Town households that generated solar energy to apply to sell back electricity to the grid.

"This same policy sits at the heart of our manifesto's...

Police Minister Bheki Cele on Monday expressed confidence in the work of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), or the Hawks, and handed over a new fleet of cars to improve response time and broaden the footprint of the DPCI across the country.

Cele handed over 22 VW Golf 8 GTIs to the DPCI in Pretoria, where he said it was through these vehicles that Hawks detectives could attend to court cases and give valuable evidence on their investigations.

For the 2023/24 financial year, the DPCI procured 62 motor vehicles, 40 VW Polo sedans and 22 VW Golf 8 GTIs.

He noted that transport resources were an indispensable addition in the fight against day-to-day and organised crime, and said he had no doubt that the vehicles would have a major impact in the fight against crime.

"But for the DPCI, the ability to swiftly respond to intelligence information and act on a crime that is about to be committed, these vehicles can mean a difference between life and death. When organised crime gangs and those who kill police officers attempt to flee, using high-powered vehicles; these cars will ensure we are on their toes and we stop them in their tracks," he said.

Head of the DPCI, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya said members of the DPCI were determined to deal with national priority offences.

He said the DPCI should use the cars with the utmost care and diligence.

"I implore managers to ensure that these cars and all vital resources of the South African Police Services, be used to foster community relations. It is a non-negotiable that these resources also go towards creating a safe and secure environment for the citizens of this country," he said.

He also warned officers who would be driving the cars to remember that the vehicles were procured for a specific purpose.

"It goes without saying that these vehicles are not here for your personal pleasure. At all times, use these tools of trade responsibly. These cars are here to improve your work and make a difference in the country's fight against crime and criminality," he said.

He added that the branding of each vehicle also served as a marketing tool of the Directorate during crime awareness campaigns, as well as visibility during the execution of disruptive planned operations.

He urged the DPCI to arrest those that were enriching themselves with grant funds meant for the poor and added that the DPCI must go hard on serious organised crimes.

Commercial and serious corruption investigations must be dealt a heavy blow, he said.

POLICE KILLINGS

Meanwhile, Lebeya said 22 police officials were murdered in the third quarter, 12 off duty and 10 on duty, and that 12 arrests were effected.

As part of successes in apprehending those who had attacked police officers, Lebeya explained that three accused persons were convicted and sentenced to share terms of four life sentences and a further 38 years imprisonment.

He warned criminals attacking police officers that the law would not have mercy on them.

"An attack on a police official is an attack on the State, and the death of one police official, who is the protector of all the people in South Africa, is unacceptable," he said.

Cele expressed disappointment with the number of police killings in the country, saying the DPCI and the South African Police Service (Saps) must work together on prevention.

He said that criminals had declared war against the police.

"It is important that we understand that situation and we put an extra effort to protect one another to protect the communities," he said.

Cele pleaded with the DPCI and the Saps to "go harder on those people killing police officers", and said he hoped the courts, judges and magistrates took police killings seriously.

The African National Congress (ANC), on Monday, hit back at the Democratic Alliance (DA) for creating "fevered speculation" and a disinformation campaign relating to the cadre deployment records the party has been court-ordered to hand over.

Monday is the deadline for the ANC to hand over all records relating to its cadre deployment committee to the DA, following a Constitutional Court judgment handed down last week.

The ANC must hand over all records, encompassing meeting minutes, CVs, emails, Whatsapp messages and other relevant documents.

The DA said on Saturday it rejected the ANC's request for an extended deadline to submit the documents and warned that it would go back to court for a contempt of court order if the ANC did not comply.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the party would comply with the court order and would hand over the relevant records by the end of business on Monday.

"The ANC rejects the DA's threats to lay charges of contempt of court against our leadership. The ANC has followed all requirements of the Promotion of Access to Information Act in complying with the court order," it said.

However, the party noted that during the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, it could not produce the records of the committee between December 2012 and December 2017.

Bhengu-Motsiri said the party had now found some of the records and would hand them over with an explanation as to any records that did not exist or had not been found.

"The ANC has nothing to hide," she said and warned the DA that the ANC had taken precautions to protect the identity of individuals who did not give their consent for their personal information to be released through the records.

She said the DA should not misuse Constitutional provisions that guaranteed citizens the right of access to information for "narrow party-political advantage".

DEFENDING CADRE DEPLOYMENT

The ANC defended its position on cade deployment by pointing out that the practice, which it said aimed to advance transformation, was not unique to the party.

"Similar policies are implanted in a number of countries by different parties. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report, 'Analysis on Political Engagement in Senior Staffing and on the Division of Responsibilities Between Ministers and Senior Civil Servants' (2007) bears testimony to this. The report concluded that political involvement in governance is essential for the efficient operation of a democracy. It allows a new political administration to influence policy direction," Bhengu-Motsiri said.

The report also noted that public servants should be protected from being used for political party objectives.

The ANC said the DA and other political parties engaged in deployment practices to fill positions on Parliamentary committees, boards and senior administrative positions.

"While it acknowledges that some past deployments have been problematic, the ANC affirms that over the years it has deployed individuals with impressive qualifications and credentials and is proud of its cadres who have achieved great outcomes for South Africa, and those who are shoulder to the wheel, driving transformation and societal renewal in challenging socio-economic circumstances," Bhengu-Motsiri said.