DA demands ANC to hand over laptop which mysteriously crashed

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has taken legal action to compel the African National Congress (ANC) to surrender the electronic equipment of a staffer whose laptop reportedly crashed, resulting in the loss of cadre deployment records.

The DA’s urgent contempt of court application, lodged by MP Leon Schreiber in the Johannesburg high court, seeks an order for the ANC to hand over the equipment to an independent IT expert for examination.

The application is scheduled to be heard on March 19, with ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula and Strategic Support Manager Thapelo Masilela named as respondents.

Schreiber’s application aims to hold the ANC accountable for violating a court order issued in February 2023, which instructed the party to provide the records to the DA within five days.

Despite the court’s ruling, the ANC initially resisted and later submitted redacted records, with some missing due to alleged accidental deletion by Masilela during an email account cleanup or following his laptop malfunction.

The ANC’s failed attempts to appeal the judgment further exacerbated the situation, prompting the DA to pursue legal action to ensure compliance with the court order.

Schreiber’s pursuit of transparency and accountability underscores the importance of upholding legal obligations and safeguarding the integrity of records crucial to political processes.

In response to the ongoing legal battle, the DA remains steadfast in its commitment to uncover the truth behind the missing records and hold the ANC accountable for its compliance with court directives.

The outcome of the upcoming court hearing will shed light on the extent of the ANC’s adherence to legal mandates and transparency in its operations.


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