Western Cape premier Helen Zille is being investigated by her party because of her controversial social media utterances‚ DA leader Mmusi Maimane said on Thursday.
Maimane told talk radio 702 that Zille would face a disciplinary process.
Zille sparked anger on social media by saying that colonialism wasn’t all bad.
“For those claiming legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative‚ think of our independent judiciary‚ transport infrastructure‚ piped water etc‚” Zille said on Twitter on Thursday.
Chairman of the DA’s federal council‚ James Selfe‚ said the party had referred Zille’s tweet to the federal legal commission to “establish whether it has transgressed the DA’s social media policy and if there can be disciplinary measures towards her”.
“We trust that the legal commission will act quickly‚” Selfe said.
This will be the first time that the DA has formally taken Zille to task over remarks she has made on social media.
Zille is known for her provocative tweets which have often raised the ire of many black South Africans on Twitter.
“At this point in time‚ I want to highlight that this matter has been referred to our own internal disciplinary process that will seek to investigate that particular matter‚” said Maimane.
When asked if he wanted to direct a comment to Zille he declined citing the investigation.
“It’s incumbent on all of us as South Africans‚ if we want to build a South Africa for all – black‚ white‚ Indian and coloured - we need to all come around and understand the history and pain of all South Africans‚” he said.
Maimane said her tweets amounted to a breach of the DA’s social media policy‚ hence it was referred for an investigation by the party’s legal commission.
Zille later apologised for the tweet, saying:
I apologise unreservedly for a tweet that may have come across as a defence of colonialism. It was not.
— Helen Zille (@helenzille) March 16, 2017
But Maimane contradicted her, saying:
Let's make this clear: Colonialism, like Apartheid, was a system of oppression and subjugation. It can never be justified.
— Mmusi Maimane MP (@MmusiMaimane) March 16, 2017
Party member‚ Mbali Ntuli‚ who has on several occasions called her out on her opinions and tweets‚ disagreed with her.
“It was ONLY negative!! Colonialism=development argument is trash as those subjugated can attest to (sic)‚” replied Ntuli.
Ntuli is former DA youth leader and she is currently an MPL at the KwaZulu-Natal legislature.
“It’s like saying Nazism was good for German democracy and their advancements in technology‚” added Ntuli.
But Zille‚ replying to another twitter user‚ @GrahamDowns‚ said: “I do not know what positive Hitler produced. He stoked up nationalism and authoritarianism and genocide‚ and destruction.”
Radio talk-show host, Eusebius McKaiser replied to Zille's apology, saying:
No Helen No. It didn't "come across as a defence" of colonialism. It WAS A DEFENCE. What a sheepish non-apology. You simply were yourself. https://t.co/XQgLbJx6jf
— Eusebius McKaiser (@Eusebius) March 16, 2017
Zille's responses came after heavy criticism on Twitter.
@Lazola_Ndamase‚ said: “The judicial system is colonial hence it sends blacks to jail & leaves land thieves & apartheid murderers untouched.”
@NomalangaSA also responded: “Im sure next youll tell Jews to look at the positive side of Nazi Germany... we cant trust you ma'm (sic).”
@Kobbibrwn‚ was not as polite‚ saying “thats f*ck*d up helen. whats good infrastructure gon do for me when im oppressed (sic).”
But Zille hit back: “Do you think life would be better without infrastructure?”
- TMG Digital
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