DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia said he accepted his dismissal as public enterprises “shadow minister” and would continue to serve the party from the backbenches.

• Ghaleb Cachalia accepts his dismissal from the DA’s top table in Parliament.
• Cachalia said Israel was committing genocide in the ongoing Middle East conflict.
• DA leader John Steenhuisen said Cachalia’s views were contrary to the party’s position.

Although he disputes the reason for his axing from the DA’s parliamentary “shadow cabinet” on Thursday, after he accused Israel of “committing genocide”, Ghaleb Cachalia said he would happily move to Parliament’s backbenches. 

Cachalia said on Friday that it was his party’s “prerogative to hire and fire” members.

“I remain loyal to the values and principles of the DA. This is what has always prompted me and guided me to speak up against abuse… I will now proceed to perform my legislative and oversight duties from the backbenches and will ensure that I serve the party and the nation in continuing what I began,” Cachalia said. 

He was fired as the public enterprises spokesperson following a series of social media posts in which he said he would not be silenced on the Israel-Palestine war. 

READ | Cachalia axed from DA’s shadow cabinet for airing his views on Israel-Palestine conflict

Shortly after the start of the latest conflict, which erupted on 7 October, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, the DA’s Emma Powell released a statement. It said the party condemned Hamas’ “unprovoked attack on Israeli territory during the religious holiday of Simchat Torah”.

“The DA condemns this senseless violence and all acts of terror against innocent civilians, women, and children and calls for aggressors to this conflict to immediately withdraw.”

Subsequently, Powell released another statement, in which the DA reaffirmed the Geneva Convention principles, which prohibit and regard as a war crime the carpet bombing of cities, towns, villages, or other areas containing a concentration of civilians. 

“The utmost priority in all military operations should be the safeguarding of civilians. We therefore urge the exercise of maximum restraint where civilian populations are affected,” she said.

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On 19 October, the DA decided that Powell would remain the party’s spokesperson on the matter.

But Steenhuisen said Cachalia went against the party on social media. 

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. If you support obliteration of one side or another, you are a disgrace.”

It was these and other remarks Cachalia had made that led to his dismissal. 

In his statement on Friday, Cachalia questioned why his letter of dismissal went “into detail”. He also suggested that someone from DA leader John Steenhuisen’s office might have leaked the letter to the media within a couple of hours.

Cachalia said:

“I will continue to keep a watchful eye on human rights abuses here and globally and will always speak truth to power.” 

Cachalia has been replaced by DA MP Mimmy Gondwe as the public enterprises spokesperson.