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Zille has become a bully. It is now time for her to step down

Helen Zille's time is up as the leader of the DA .

She is intolerant of criticism and her public utterances are harming her political party.

As a leader, sometimes you ignore what is being said about you, especially on social media.

Her behaviour last week when she was defending her decision to cancel her government's subscription to the Cape Times exposed her as immature.

In her interview with John Robbie of Talk Radio 702, she said she did not give a damn when asked to defend her decision.

What leader talks like that, regardless of the interviewer's attitude towards them?

Leaders compose themselves, think before saying anything and, moreover, know that they represent their membership.

Her language is rude and unpolished. Zille has become a bully who responds to everything that is said about her with aggression.

The debate on the termination of the subscription was trending on Twitter and Talk Radio 702 host Redi Tlhabi re-tweeted parts of Zille's interview.

Because those following Tlhabi responded to the re-tweeted parts of the interview, Zille pushed to be put on Tlhabi's show.

The station obliged.

She had just done an interview on the same radio station on the same issue an hour before.

Why did she want to be spoken to again? To address the tweets?

She left a meeting where she claimed she was about to make a presentation to be on radio and address issues said about her on social media. What's that? That is shallow behaviour.

When Tlhabi asked her why she is so sensitive in that she could follow the right channels in dealing with her unhappiness with the Cape Times, she responded by asking why the media are also sensitive.

She is not measured when answering questions - something crucial for a leader.

She does not realise she has far more to lose as a leader than the people who tweet about her.

We have forgotten about them now, they have moved on and are commenting on other subjects, but we will never forget her behaviour as a leader.

Zille needs to grow a thick skin. She is a public figure and people are bound to say anything and everything about her.

Her advisers seem to have failed in convincing her to stop tweeting, a sign that shows she listens to no one but herself.

Zille was also defending a decision that has pitted her against sober minds. How does she decide for government employees which newspaper to read? What other decisions has she made to suit her political agenda or party?

She claimed she didn't take the decision alone but that her cabinet did, but only the recordings of the meeting can prove whether she did not impose the decision.

Zille has been in the driving seat of her party since 2007.

In 2011, she indicated that she was ready to step down when her party goes to congress if there was a black candidate to replace her. But in 2012, she was re-elected as the party leader.

At the time when she announced that she could step down, it was widely speculated that Lindiwe Mazibuko would replace her. She was seen as Zille's blue-eyed girl, she gave her support but their fall-out was so bad that Zille only learnt of her resignation from the party just before Mazibuko left the country to go and study in the US last year.

Zille had already found a black person to replace Mazibuko, the current DA parliamentary leader, Mmusi Maimane.

Maimane, like Mazibuko, is a Zille project which does not enjoy much support in the party which is dominated by whites.

This and many other examples demonstrate that Zille rules with an iron fist. A leader must have the buy-in of her followers. Zille mustn't think her behaviour is building her party. It is time she stepped down.

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