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Johannesburg - Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba must retract his "dangerous" remarks on cadre deployment, the Democratic Alliance said on Wednesday.
"We cannot allow our public enterprises to become a revolving door for failed ANC cadres," DA MP Natasha Michael said in a statement.
"We need professional and capable people to make sure that the trains run on time, the lights are kept on, and that the national carrier does not continue to run at a loss."
Gigaba on Wednesday told the Cape Town Press Club: "I wouldn't apologise for deploying a cadre into a board, providing the cadre has the relevant and requisite experience and expertise to deliver on the mandate."
He said there would be some rotations on the board "based on people whose time has lapsed, some whose skills might have become redundant".
Michael said this would hamper efforts to professionalise the public service.
"South Africa needs an efficient and professional public service, and not a Luthuli House-appointed bureaucracy."
She said Gigaba's statement was a "blatant contradiction" to the National Development Plan, and would undermine the country's fight against corruption.
"The NDP is clear that the government needs to take steps to 'professionalise the public service, strengthen accountability, improve co-ordination and prosecute corruption'," she said.
The NDP also criticised political appointments by stating: "...in South Africa the current approach to appointments blurs the lines of accountability. The requirement for Cabinet to approve the appointment of heads of departments makes it unclear whether they are accountable to their minister, to the Cabinet or the ruling party."
Michael said the reality was that cadre deployment had undermined the ability of government to deliver quality services, and had been used as a smoke-screen, behind which corruption was allowed.
"The DA therefore calls on minister Gigaba to retract these dangerous statements without any further delay," she said.
