Cape Town – Following a court ruling that found the ANC in contempt of court, the party has been given a 15-day ultimatum to surrender its cadre deployment records to the DA.
The judgment delivered on Wednesday, found the ANC and its secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, guilty of contempt of court, affirming allegations that the party tampered with records of its cadre deployment committee, the DA said in a statement.
The DA’s legal action, initiated on March 4, 2024, accused the ANC of unlawfully redacting, destroying, and withholding crucial information related to its cadre deployment committee’s activities dating back to 2013.
This committee, chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa since January 2013, has been at the center of controversy, with allegations of corruption and malfeasance, the DA said.
The court’s ruling validated the DA’s claims, categorising the ANC’s actions as “wilful” and “male fide” contempt of court. This defiance directly contravened a previous court order upheld by the Constitutional Court. As a consequence, the ANC has been ordered to cover the DA’s full legal costs and comply with the original court order within 15 days.
Specifically, the ANC is required to provide unredacted information regarding its cadre deployment committee’s proceedings and decisions spanning from January 2013 to January 2021. This encompasses minutes, communications, and correspondence involving committee members and government officials.
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Additionally, the court mandated that the ANC grant access to a neutral third-party IT expert to extract necessary information from the devices of ANC officials, including Thepelo Masilela and Lungi Mtshali. The party must also submit a sworn statement confirming compliance with the court order.
The court’s condemnation extended to the ANC’s failure to disclose communications and records involving President Cyril Ramaphosa, who chaired the committee from 2013 to 2018. This underscores the urgency for Ramaphosa to fully cooperate with the court’s directives and disclose any relevant communications pertaining to his role in state capture.
In response to the ruling, the DA has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fulfill his duties and ensure compliance with the court’s decision. Failure to meet the deadline, which falls on April 24, 2024, may result in further legal action against the ANC.
“The DA calls on Ramaphosa to act in accordance with his position as President of South Africa in order to bring an end to this escalating constitutional crisis triggered by his party, by abiding by the ruling and handing over to the DA all of his personal emails, Whatsapps and other communication revealing the role he personally played in state capture through his position as ANC cadre deployment chairperson.
“Once again, the clock is ticking on the ANC. It has 15 working days – until 24 April 2024 – to hand over all, complete and unredacted cadre deployment records, including those held by Ramaphosa. As we have done throughout our years-long battle to expose and defeat ANC cadre deployment, the DA reserves our rights to pursue further action against the constitutional delinquents masquerading as a governing party,” read the statement.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
