Sona Debate: Ronald Lamola Says ANC Cadre Deployment Is Here to Stay, DA Says It’s Unconstitutional

• Ronald Lamola says the ANC will not be doing away with its cadre deployment policy
• The DA has been trying with all its might to have the policy scrapped and views it as the root of all corruption in government departments and SOEs
• Lamola claims cadre deployment has worked in the past and will continue to be used to rebuild SOEs

CAPE TOWN - Minister of Justice and Correctional Services,Ronald Lamola burst the DA's bubble when he closed the debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa's Sona.

The minister declared that the African National Congress (ANC) would keep implementing its policy on cadre deployment at South Africa's state-owned entities.

Lomala's words are in stark contrast to what the DA wants. The ANC and the opposition party have been at odds with the DA turning to the courts to declare cadre deployment unconstitutional.

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DA says corruption in government departments and SOEs stems from ANC's cadre deployment policy

On the first day of the debate, Tuesday, 14 February, DA MP Leon Schreiber dedicated much of his speech to the evils of cadre deployment. Scheiber, leading the charge to abolish the policy, said cadre deployment is the root of all corruption in government departments and SOEs.

The DA MP said President Ramaphosa's refusal to do away with the policy indicates that the president's supposed commitment to eradicating corruption is nothing but lip service, News24 reported.

Ronald Lamola points to the successes of cadre deployment at Sars and Eskom

To disprove the DA's claims, Lamola gave examples of when the ruling party's deployment policy worked in state-owned enterprises, SABC News reported.

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The minister claimed the policy worked in the past at the barely functioning power utility Eskom when Thulani Gcabashe was CEO.

The justice minister also saw fit to remind the DA that when Eskom was declared the global power company of the year, it was under ANC's reign. But the title was bestowed on the now crumbling power utility over 20 years ago in 2002.

Lamola also used the South African Revenue Services (Sars) as an example of how the policy was beneficial when Pravin Gordhan was commissioner. The minister said that under Gordhan's leadership, Sars was named one of the world's best revenue tax collection services.

Lamola declared:

"This shows that cadre deployment works. We have done it before, and we will do it again to rebuild state-owned entities.”

South Africans are appalled by the ANC's refusal to scrap cadre deployment

Citizens are unanimous on the issue: the cadre deployment policy is the root of SA's problems.

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Below are some comments:

@AndrDuPreez4 said:

"We will continue fighting it!"

@zareality added:

"Cadre deployment worked in the past to destroy said SOEs, now it's said to be able to rebuild what it destroyed? Bull excrement on that."

@rob_zuma warned:

"Well said Ronald Lemon, you will continue with your cadre deployment in the opposition seats after 2024."

@Sihle_E_Nkosi complained:

"Cadre deployment is the reason why we are in this mess in the first place."

@CongressCongza claimed:

"He was out of depth in his address."

@Freddie94784897 demanded:

"This stooge Lamola must also step down. He thinks he owns the ANC."

Sona debate: ANC jumps to Cyril Ramaphosa’s defence as opposition parties call for president’s resignation

Earlier, Briefly News reported the opposition parties didn't pull any punches when they remarked on President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address on Tuesday, 14 January.

The parties took turns stepping up to the Cape Town City Hall podium to criticise Ramaphosa's leadership and even call for him to step down.

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ANC members weren't having any of it and quickly came to the defence of their commander-in-chief.

Source: Briefly News