The National Treasury, which is responsible for managing the public purse, should remain insulated from the ANC’s practice of cadre deployment in order for it to function effectively, says finance minister Enoch Godogwana.
Godogwana, who also serves as member of the national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC, its highest decision-making body between conferences, said the party’s cadre deployment practice would “kill the institution [National Treasury]”.
“They are conservative but not ideological. They work as professionals so their views will not always converge with what the ruling party wants,” Godogwana said on Thursday at an event organised by News24.
The finance minister joins a list of opponents of the ANC’s deployment policy — including opposition parties and civil society organisations — which has traditionally been used by the party to help fast-track transformation and better implement its policies.
Cadre deployment has been blamed for a series of service delivery failures, with fingers pointed at the ANC for placing appointees in critical roles in departments, agencies and enterprises who often lack the skills, competence or training and experience to run them.
In the final part of the state capture report released in June 2022, chief justice Raymond Zondo, who chaired the inquiry, declared the policy unconstitutional and illegal. The policy came under much criticism at the commission, with evidence leaders suggesting it is one of the foundations of corruption and inefficiency in the government and state-owned enterprises.
The ANC has insisted that its deployment committee does not appoint any of the party’s members to key strategic government positions but rather recommends those who are “fit for purpose and meeting the requirements to apply”.
While not totally against cadre deployment, Godogwana said in instances the practice has been incorrectly used by the party, leading to a deterioration of services.
“What has happened with cadre deployment is like putting arms in [the hands of] a person who is not trained,” he said. “In municipalities, you take a teacher direct from school and make them a municipal manager … That has been the fundamental weakness of cadre deployment.
“I have the Zondo report on my side … We have gone to parliament and said we are going to implement all those recommendations.”
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