12 Facts About Ghaleb Cachalia

Ghaleb Cachalia was born on 12 November 1956 and is a South African businessman and former Member of Parliament.

Ghaleb Cachalia is the son of anti-Apartheid activists Amina and Yusuf Cachalia, and a relative of former African National Congress MP Ismail Mahomed Cachalia.

Ghaleb Cachalia attended the Waterford School in Eswatini, to avoid the apartheid education system in South Africa.

Ghaleb Cachalia was sent abroad to stay with his uncle and aunt in Britain, where he was forced to remain for ten years.

Ghaleb Cachalia joined his father's business, which supplied school uniforms for black students, and completed an apprenticeship at a clothing manufacturing facility in Johannesburg, then opened such facilities in Malawi and Mozambique.

Ghaleb Cachalia retained only one retail outlet, whose shareholding he transferred to the company's employees; the business still runs in Johannesburg's central business district.

Ghaleb Cachalia then entered into management consultancy in Zurich, Switzerland, and in Johannesburg.

Ghaleb Cachalia joined the DA as an ordinary member in early 2016, and ran as the DA's mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni in the 2016 municipal elections, on a platform of transparent and accountable government.

Ghaleb Cachalia lost to the ANC's candidate by only 11 votes.

Ghaleb Cachalia was sworn in as a DA MP on 4 May 2017, and Philip de Lange took over the DA leadership in Ekurhuleni.

In November 2023, Ghaleb Cachalia was sacked as Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises for making a comment on the Gaza war.

On 18 January 2024, Ghaleb Cachalia resigned as a member of the DA and parliament over differences with the party's stance on the war between Israel and Hamas.