Roman Cabanac Fired: Steenhuisen’s Controversial Aide Ousted After Public Backlash

Roman Cabanac, the once-defiant chief of staff to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, is out of a job—and it happened, as fate would have it, on his birthday.

“Fantastic timing,” Cabanac said sarcastically in a post on X (formerly Twitter), confirming he had received a termination letter. But even as he publicly acknowledged the dismissal, he hinted at possible legal action, calling the letter “flawed” and suggesting he’s weighing his options.

The move comes after a year of intense public and political criticism surrounding Cabanac’s appointment—an appointment that many say should never have happened in the first place.

Controversial from Day One

Cabanac’s rise to political prominence wasn’t built on quiet competence—it was driven by loud controversy.

A member of the fringe Capitalist Party of South Africa, Cabanac had made headlines long before his appointment to Steenhuisen’s office. He had publicly questioned the legitimacy of the Sharpeville Massacre, referred to black South Africans as “Bantu people,” and claimed black people couldn’t be liberals.

“If you want to be a liberal party, it cannot be black-led,” he once tweeted in response to BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane’s reflections on his departure from the Democratic Alliance (DA).

These racially charged remarks sparked outrage when Cabanac was appointed in 2023, prompting immediate calls for Steenhuisen to revoke the decision. Many South Africans, especially black citizens and political observers, viewed the appointment as tone-deaf and deeply offensive in a country still grappling with the wounds of its apartheid past.

Steenhuisen Under Fire

For months, John Steenhuisen—recently appointed agriculture minister and DA leader—dug in his heels. He argued that Cabanac had the right credentials: a law degree and political experience.

But the controversy wouldn’t go away. Instead of helping govern, Cabanac became a distraction. The story of the department wasn’t about food security or drought mitigation—it was about why a man with racist views was trusted to help run it.

Eventually, even Steenhuisen admitted the obvious.

“We don’t always get it right,” he said in a candid moment at the Cape Town Press Club last September. “I found it far too distracting… that he is the news story rather than the work of the department.”

He had asked Cabanac to “consider stepping aside” while HR processes were underway—a polite nudge toward the exit that became official only this week.

A Cautionary Tale of Political Blind Spots

There’s no denying Cabanac’s ousting is a personal loss for him, but it also leaves a political stain on Steenhuisen, who once tried to position himself and the DA as inclusive, pragmatic, and ready to govern for all South Africans.

Instead, this appointment raised hard questions about who gets access to power, and what standards our leaders are willing to compromise to reward loyalty.

South African Twitter has been especially vocal:

“Cabanac should never have been near public office. Racism is not a qualification,” tweeted one user.
“Steenhuisen knew exactly who he was appointing. The rot goes deeper,” wrote another.

Others were more forgiving of the DA leader’s eventual decision to let Cabanac go, but said it came too late to avoid damage.

What’s Next for Cabanac and the DA?

While Cabanac hinted at challenging the termination legally, it’s unclear if he has much of a case. His public record alone makes it hard to argue he was unfairly targeted.

As for Steenhuisen, the spotlight now turns to how he rebuilds credibility—especially within black communities and younger voters who see this saga as a troubling example of poor judgement.

In a political season defined by coalition-building, gaffes like these don’t just haunt headlines—they cost trust. And trust, once lost, is much harder to restore than a job title.

{Source: The Citizen}

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