In a scathing 30-page resignation letter, Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament Ghaleb Cachalia delivers a damning critique of the party, describing it as "dysfunctional, undemocratic, and authoritarian." The resignation, posted on social media, outlines Cachalia's disillusionment with the DA's leadership, particularly his strained relationship with party leader John Steenhuisen.

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Cachalia's disciplinary process

Cachalia, who served as the DA spokesperson on public enterprises, anticipates exclusion from the party lists of returning MPs after the 2024 elections due to the breakdown in relations with Steenhuisen. His public criticism began when he faced disciplinary action for characterizing Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide" in late October 2023. Despite warnings from the party, Cachalia continued to express his views on South Africa's approach to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel.

His resignation comes amid broader discontent with the DA's stance on the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, particularly in the Western Cape. Cachalia's critique extends beyond concerns about freedom of speech, delving into deeper issues with the DA leadership. The resignation package includes documents suggesting advice from DA Chair Helen Zille to let the situation "blow over."

Cachalia notes that his ongoing position in the DA has led to considerable backlash from friends, colleagues, and even family members. After being demoted by Steenhuisen in November, Cachalia made several unsuccessful attempts to meet with the DA party leader for mediation. In his letter to Zille, he alleges that she advised him to "allow things to blow over" due to Steenhuisen's high level of anger. Despite this, Cachalia claims ongoing "alienation" and interprets it as a prelude to Steenhuisen blocking his return to Parliament by manipulating the system.

Cachalia argues that such a move would be unjust, given his "100% score" in the DA's evaluation of his performance in the legislature between May 2019 and November 2023. The final straw, from the party's perspective, seems to be an interview Cachalia gave to Newzroom Afrika on January 11, 2024, expressing enthusiastic support for the South African government's decision to approach the ICJ over the Gaza onslaught.

The DA's spokesperson on international relations, Emma Powell, accused Cachalia of "heaping praise and glory on our kleptocratic national government" and reported him to the DA's federal legal commission and the party's Gauteng provincial executive for disciplinary action and a possible reconsideration of his MP candidacy.

Cachalia contends that Powell has no legal authority to take such action, alleging that Powell has been used to "drive the Steenhuisen agenda" by sending him a letter "clearly crafted by Steenhuisen's team." He argues that his statements on Newzroom Afrika did not violate the DA's constitution since a "final and binding policy position" on the matter had yet to be taken by the party's parliamentary caucus.

The DA responded with a statement rejecting Cachalia's claims, stating that the party "categorically rejects the claims Cachalia has manufactured in an attempt to justify his resignation, including his mischaracterization of the party’s position on the war in Gaza." The statement emphasized the DA's diverse opinions, except for Cachalia's, and accused him of disrespecting party processes and colleagues.

Cachalia's resignation reveals internal divisions within the DA, with accusations of authoritarianism and a departure from the party's values. His critique goes beyond the Gaza conflict, pointing to a broader ideological shift within the party. Cachalia raises concerns about the DA moving away from the center of the political spectrum and embracing right-wing tribal, religious, and ultra-libertarian partners. The party's alleged engagement with organizations like the Afrikanerbond adds to the apprehension.

As the DA grapples with these internal challenges, Cachalia's departure highlights the complexities of navigating geopolitical conflicts within party structures. The Gaza conflict remains a contentious global issue, contributing to political realignments and highlighting the difficulties of maintaining party cohesion amid differing perspectives on international affairs.

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Structural criticisms

In an interview this morning on X, Cachalia elaborated on the structural problems with the DA. Using the language of his resignation letter, he described the "Democratic Centralism" in the party as being a way of working in which any debate that touches on issues which risk dividing the electoral base is strictly forbidden - Cape independence, abortion, death penalty, and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

This does not only apply to the external communications of the party, but also to the internal debates. Many of the party's official positions on these matters are not decided by any engagement or debate within the party, and are not ratified by the party structures, but are decided by the Executive Committee.

In his resignation letter he compares this to the doctrine of communism, which historically had matters decided by the Politburo, the executive committee of the communist party. However, he also made a general criticism that the DA is "right wing" and "libertarian", despite having a more generous welfare policy than the ANC.

It is public knowledge that the members of the party who wish to attain any senior position or any representative position, must study for and write a qualification exam to test their ideological purity and understanding of the legal environment in which the party operates.

He characterised the effects of this on members of the party as creating a "climate of fear".

The letter describes additional problems, such as the informal excercise of power by connected members. Emma Powell's threat of "red-flagging" or delisting Cachalia from the candidates list speaks to an unaccountable and opaque chain of command, with discipline exercised without structural accountability.

While it is not unusual for parties to discipline members for their public comments when deviating from official policy, the methods used to assert consensus within the DA speak to a rather rigid, top-down control system whose real mechanisms are opaque, and deviate from explicit structures.

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Future plans

While Cachalia could not confirm his future political endorsements or career plans, he listed a broad number of options, from NGO work, to joining another party, to joining a consultancy, suggesting that his plans in this regard are either either private, or nonexistent.

He did confirm however, that he is firmly opposed to Cape independence, and that he would like to have seen the party approach policies which are more popular with the black majority, who tend to favour more left-wing economic positions, and are broadly in favour of the present regime of racial discrimination.

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