Ghaleb Cachalia on Herman Mashaba: 'No one in the DA called him a cheeky black'

DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia has clapped back at Herman Mashaba, calling him a “lying populist”.

The former Johannesburg mayor and founder of The People's Dialogue said his authority in the DA was constantly questioned when he didn't “toe the line”.

Mashaba stepped down on November 27, citing tensions within the party.

He said the DA he signed up to was not the DA that emerged when Helen Zille was appointed as chairperson of the party's federal council.

Speaking on 702, Mashaba said many DA members had a problem with him when he wanted to implement “one South Africa for all” in a practical manner.

“When I started implementing programmes that could better the lives of our poor South Africans, I started being accused of misusing taxpayers' money,” said Mashaba.

“A few months before there were talks of a motion of no confidence, there were a few DA members who started calling me a cheeky black. Cheeky blacks were those who were not toeing the line.”

However, Cachalia disputed Mashaba's claims, saying no-one in the DA “would ever do so and if they did, they would be out on their ear”.

“No-one in the DA ever called him a cheeky black. This populist is lying.

“Cheap politicking by a man who makes things up as he goes along,” said Cachalia.