‘Bigoted’ DA MP defends autism remarks

The Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow minister of public enterprises Ghaleb Cachalia has denied weaponising people living with autism as an insult.

After environmental journalist Nick Hedley criticised the DA’s Helen Zille on Twitter, stating Zille was “wrecking South Africa’s official opposition party”, he was attacked by the DA and Cachalia.

In a response to Hedley, Cachalia lashed out at him and said “I’d stick to applauding the stance of an autistic 20-year-old, if I were you”, apparently in reference to Greta Thunberg.

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Thunberg, 20, is respected Swedish climate activist and for several years has been open about being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.

Cachalia later deleted the tweet.

“If you read correctly, my reply to @nickhedley’s gratuitous attack on Helen Zille and the DA most certainly did not weaponise against autism. As I said both climate change and autism are complex issues. But will delete the tweet given willful misunderstanding, I will delete it,” he said.

‘An insult’

Autism South Africa educational facilitator and consultant Vicky Oettle said the association did not think any autistic person should be criticised in the way it appeared to have happened here.

“Autistic people are individuals and they have their own mindsets and they are able to make their own decisions. Thunberg has made her own decision on being a climate change activist,” she said.

Oettle said it was not right someone was calling her out for that or using that against her, or even using that against anybody who was advocating for what Thunberg did.

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“Any disability should not be used as an insult or as a way for people to advocate against something,” she said.

Political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast said a senior politician was expected to know better and Cachalia’s comment was unacceptable.

Breakfast said the DA prides itself as a party which subscribed to human rights and was known as a liberal party.

“What he said was not on,” he said.

‘Derision and alienation’

Good Party secretary-general Brett Herron said: “Bigoted DA MP Cachalia must apologise for deriding autism.”

According to Herron, Cachalia’s tweet used autism as a label for derision and alienation, while at the same time mocked and dismissed Thunberg’s climate change work due to her being on the autism spectrum.

“Cachalia is, ironically, the son of well-known anti-apartheid activist of integrity,” he said.

“The DA must decide if Cachalia is of suitable character to represent it as an MP. In the meantime, the party must instruct him to delete his tweet and apologise for his bigotry.”

The DA declined to comment.

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