Roman Cabanac takes on the DA for unfair dismissal

by | Sep 16, 2025

The appearance of a false pretext for his termination has provided firm grounds for a case of unfair dismissal. The case will likely be heard in December

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In a formal missive dispatched to South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the legal representatives of Roman Cabanac, a former Chief of Staff, have issued a stern rebuke over his abrupt dismissal.

The correspondence, dated prior to 22 August, invokes Section 3(1) of the Institution of Legal Proceedings Against Certain Organs of State Act, 2002, alleging that the Minister’s unilateral termination of Cabanac’s five-year contract, signed on 8 August 2024, was unlawful.

The contract, carrying an annual remuneration of R1.22m ($68,000), was terminated on 3 June 2025, purportedly on grounds of unspecified state security concerns. The letter details a sequence of events: on 2 May 2025, Cabanac was notified of the impending termination and invited to provide reasons to contest it. His submission on 8 May was disregarded, with the Minister proceeding to end the contract without formal notice or due process.

This, the attorneys argue, constitutes a material breach, contravening both contractual terms and employment law. They demand Cabanac’s reinstatement by 22 August 2025, failing which they seek damages of R5.07m for the remaining contract period until 7 August 2029. The state’s response, or lack thereof, will likely determine whether this dispute escalates to litigation, testing the robustness of South Africa’s public service termination protocols.

According to Cabanac, his team are seeking representation in the Labour Court for December. The case, they argue, is a strong one – with John Steenhuisen allegedly acting on pressure from the DA’s Executive Committee.

The real reasons for the termination of his contract are not a mystery. After a smear campaign initiated by Gabriel Crouse of the Institute of Race Relations over Cabanac’s lukewarm feelings toward core dogmas of Liberal Democracy, the DA came under immense pressure from their political rivals and enemies in the public sphere.

The reason given for his termination however, was related to bogus concerns about the status of his French and South African nationality, and appear to be a mere pretext for a political decision made outside of his job performance or qualifications.

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