The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it has uncovered many counts of cadre deployment in the metros it has recently taken over following the elections in August.
The political party highlighted Tshwane Municipality, and in particular the mayor’s office, where it said 915 people were employed under former mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa’s charge.
“Many of the people working there are branch secretaries, branch chairpersons of the ANC. Their contracts were due to be finished by the end of the year and therefore we can boldly say we are not cutting what was not already going to be cut,” said party leader, Mmusi Maimane.
Maimane told the media that 240 of those working in the mayor’s office in Tshwane were ANC branch chairs. However, the ANC has only 107 branches in Tshwane.
Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga also alleged that his predecessor used tax payers money to assist ANC supporters in getting ID cards just before the August elections.
The Sunday Times reported that the initiative cost the municipality R10 million after Ramokgopa allegedly hired 379 people to target ANC strongholds.
The municipality paid for the costs associated with applying for IDs using municipal resources, Msimanga’s spokesman, Matthew Gerstner, told the Sunday paper.
“So it’s quite clear in my mind that the mayor’s office sent staff paid by the city into ANC stronghold areas to get them IDs, when they didn’t have IDs, and to pay for IDs out of city resources and then to ensure people had IDs,” Gerstner said.
“It’s absolutely not the business of local government to help people apply for ID cards.”
Tshwane ANC regional secretary Paul Mojapelo dismissed the allegation. “Let them investigate … why don’t they go to the police to report the matter if it is criminal or fraud?”
Msimanga has already filed criminal complaints against officials for alleged corruption in Tshwane.
The ANC hit back, accusing Msimanga of cadre deployment and corruption of his own.
The ruling party said it planned to file a complaint with the public protector against the new mayor for appointing senior officials without following due process.
The accusations relate to the appointment of councillor Gert Pretorius as a “chair of chairs”, Marietha Aucamp as chief of staff, and Tiyiselani Babane as strategic executive in the office of the speaker.
“He has been paid as a chair of chairs, which is corruption,” ANC councillor Mapiti Matsena said.
“You can’t pay him as a chair of chairs when he is not a chairperson of any committee.”
Source: http://businesstech.co.za/news/government/138735/shocking-levels-of-cadre-deployment-uncovered-in-tshwane-mayors-office/
