The Chief of Staff in the office of Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, Roman Cabanac, has finally broken his silence about the widespread criticism levelled against him.
In a statement issued by Cabanac on Wednesday, he sets out that some of his online behaviour was “simplistic and controversial” and acknowledges how unfavourable it looks in his current non-partisan position.
“In the past, I built my brand as a critic of the previous government. I pushed boundaries to gain attention on social media and sometimes made divisive, idle and poorly considered statements in the heat of online journalism. While some of the criticisms were well-founded, I also admit that others were insensitive and provocative, driven by the desire to debate,” he said.
Read more in Daily Maverick: By rewarding Roman Cabanac’s bigotry, Steeenhuisen risks the future of the GNU
Cabanac claims to have changed his mindset and says he is looking to add value towards building a better South Africa.
Cabanac was a founding member of the Capitalist Party of South Africa (ZACP) that had a dismal showing at the 2019 polls. He then started his podcast Morning Shot in 2020.
“In 2024, both our country and I changed. It dawned on me that my approach had not been constructive. Judging books by their covers is how many online conversations go, and I realised that it is better to help read or write the book than to critique its title. The political landscape shifted, and I acknowledged that it was my first real opportunity to contribute to government affairs in South Africa,” he said.
The opportunity to work for the government was not in my future at all. When it was offered, I accepted without hesitation.
South Africans need food, jobs and a growing economy. Our farmers need security, certainty and support.
It is much easier to criticize but actions and… pic.twitter.com/a6LU5vrP0S
— Roman Cabanac (@RomanCabanac) August 31, 2024
Cabanac was appointed in Steenhuisen’s office and the news became public two weeks ago. This was followed by an outpouring of public disgruntlement because of his extreme right-wing stance and disregard for the government and President Cyril Ramaphosa.
However, he is now urging South Africans who are opposed to his appointment to give him a chance to prove that he is capable of doing the job.
“When the chance came, I took it, driven by a genuine desire to help build a better future for all South Africans… I am committed to working with anyone who shares the goal of a prosperous, united South Africa. Together, we can ensure food security, create jobs, and build a thriving economy.
“I ask those South Africans who are against me, to reconsider their judgment of me, or to at least afford me the chance to do the job and to evaluate me after it is done, just as they have with others who have faced public scrutiny or even criminal convictions but are working towards the greater good for the sake of the Government of National Unity,” he said.
Read more: Roman Cabanac punted nuclear deal on Rosatom freebie to Russia
While he has deleted all his inflammatory comments on social media platform X, a number of tweets have been traced back to him.
Daily Maverick journalist Rebecca Davis writes about some of Cabanac’s utterances which caused a row, including him repeatedly referring to black people as the “Bantu tribe” or “Bantu people”.
He also hints that the Sharpeville massacre – in which 69 protestors were killed by apartheid police – may not have happened in the manner history records.
Over the past year, Cabanac juxtaposed an image of a “p*es” sign when referencing Ramaphosa, termed ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula “handicapped”, and referred to Ramaphosa’s spokesperson as “Cyril’s Spokesretard”.
Cabanac, who has been a vocal Trump supporter, has previously openly been pro-Putin and enjoys mocking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, also tweeted that South Africa could “learn from Viktor Orban”, the Hungarian strongman who has dismantled democracy in that country.
Despite this, Steenhuisen has come to his defence, saying that Cabanac has the required qualifications to occupy this vacancy. He highlighted that Cabanac holds an LLB degree and has worked as a legal practitioner specialising in deceased estates for more than 12 years.
Steenhuisen also mentions that Cabanac did not require experience in agriculture as the position was inward-facing administrative. It rather required attention to detail and understanding of “workflow of documents and briefings, legal papers, appeals and other processes”.
The DA has distanced itself from Cabanac’s appointment, stating that it is Steenhuisen’s prerogative to hire whomever he wants to his office. The party has also emphasised the separation of powers between state and party. DM