Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
06 November 2023 | 15:08 CAT

Ghaleb Cachalia was removed from his post as DA’s spokesperson on public enterprises. Photo: Deon Raath

DA leader John Steenhuisen removed Ghaleb Cachalia from his “shadow Cabinet” months ahead of one of the most important elections in the country’s history for not toeing the party line on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

An outspoken Cachalia dared to air his personal views on the Israel-Palestine war, despite the DA’s parliamentary caucus resolving that MPs should not publicly comment on the Israel-Hamas war, except its shadow minister on international relations.

Cachalia earlier this week tweeted that he will not be silenced and that Israel is committing genocide.

DA party leader John Steenhuisen sent a letter to Cachalia after a DA caucus meeting, informing him of the decision to remove him from the party’s shadow cabinet.

He was replaced as the spokesperson on public enterprises by Mimmy Gondwe.

The decision, as communicated through a leaked letter from DA leader John Steenhuisen, created quite a stir in the country on Thursday evening.

The decision, as communicated through a leaked letter from DA leader John Steenhuisen, created quite a stir in the country on Thursday evening.

In response to the leak, Cachalia said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “I have been inundated with media requests about my axing from the shadow cabinet. I am considering my response to the leaked letter which was sent by Steenhuisen to me. I am about to board a plane. I will revert after I have considered the matter and taken advice from those I value.”

Cachalia says the events will result in his transitioning to the role of a “backbencher”, which he believes will make life “less hectic”. He was serving as a senior member of the shadow cabinet.

According to Steenhuisen, the background to this controversy lies in a discussion during the DA’s national caucus meeting on October 19, where the ongoing crisis in the Middle East was the focal point.

On 27 October, Cachalia posted on Facebook: “Simple – get this straight. If you do not believe that there should be an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and that there should be a call to get the combatants and all stakeholders around the negotiating table now to avert a humanitarian catastrophe, you should be ashamed.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.