Call it cadre ‘destroyment’ and not deployment

Don’t be fooled by attempts to downplay the significance of ongoing exposés of cadre deployment, an ANC policy which is destroying South Africa.

ANC cadre deployment is a big deal. It poses a mortal threat to our country because it rewards loyalty far more than competence. It spreads corruption and destroys our cities, towns and villages.

Apologists rightly point that many governing parties across the world try to ensure their supporters occupy certain positions.

The most infamous local example, exposed in 1978, is how the Afrikaner Broederbond was able to exert influence in apartheid South Africa.

One difference is that the Broederbond operated in secret, while the ANC publicly, loudly and proudly, formally adopted cadre deployment policy at its 50th national conference in 1997.

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It affirmed “the need to deploy cadres to various organs of state, including the public service and other centres of power in society”.

The aim of the ANC’s national democratic revolution (NDR) is to control all levers of power in South Africa. This vision harks back to a 1935 address titled “Cadres Decide Everything”, by Stalin to Red Army graduates in the Kremlin.

What the ANC is trying to enforce is Stalinist control at every level, from the highest reaches of government to the lowest-paid Expanded Public Works Programme labourer sweeping or picking litter. Preference is given to ANC members, always.

ANC cadre deployment is not limited to government. Its tentacles also reach into business. The ANC cadre deployment policy document mentions the need for cadres to be deployed in the private sector.

While interviewing DA MP Leon Schreiber on this topic, Alec Hogg gave examples of cadre Maria Ramos becoming Absa chief executive, cadre Gill Marcus becoming Absa chair and cadre Trevor Manuel becoming chair of Old Mutual “and so on, and so on”.

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Ramaphosa is pivotal to the NDR takeover of the state and private sector. He’s no self-made billionaire.

He’s a prime beneficiary of cadre deployment, black economic empowerment and crony capitalism, who went on to chair the ANC cadre deployment committee during Jacob Zuma’s presidency.

The scope and scale of ANC cadre deployment dwarf the efforts of the Broeders, whose influence was also malign.

But even if the Broederbond was beyond terrible, what matters more now is the behaviour of the governing party.

Nor is it helpful falsely to accuse the DA of practising cadre deployment. As a humble ward councillor, I have no authority to speak on behalf of the party on this matter.

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However, the DA’s federal executive (Fedex) does take an interest in appointments of members of mayoral committees.

These are political appointments from the ranks of elected councillors. DA councillors will have been through a rigorous selection process where there is much emphasis on being fit-for-purpose.

When it comes to the appointment of senior officials such as managers, the party’s main concern is that correct processes are followed.

The DA’s track record of efficient service delivery where it governs is self-evident.

To compare that to the chaos, corruption, incompetence and decay where ANC cadres govern is bizarre.

ANC cadre deployment should be called cadre “destroyment”.

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