Helen Zille tweets her way into hot water, again and again and again and again

23 May 2019 - 07:32
By Unathi Nkanjeni
Helen Zille is in hot water over her tweets.
Image: Alon Skuy Helen Zille is in hot water over her tweets.

From defending her colonialism tweet to her recent "black privilege" comments on Twitter, Western Cape premier Helen Zille continues to cause controversy and make headlines.

These four comments are among those that have caused an uproar on social media.

Tax revolt

Zille was criticised after threatening to organise a tax revolt if those implicated in corruption are not prosecuted and jailed after the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

In a series of tweets she said she aimed to read case studies of successful tax revolts and focus on the lessons South Africa could learn from them.

Colonialism tweet, again.

Zille's comments on colonialism have repeatedly landed her and the DA in hot water. Just a month ago she defended her comments on colonialism.

"... Colonnialism (sic) was TERRIBLE. But its LEGACY is not ONLY negative..."

Arnold Schwarzenegger attack

Zille expressed her opinion on the assault in Sandton on May 19 of former American politician and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger.

She said the incident received little media coverage "because he is white".

She suggested that had he been a "black American celebrity" attacked by a white person, the incident would have caused a "furore worldwide".

Black privilege

Zille remains unapologetic for her comments that "black privilege" means looting and being re-elected.

Instead of apologising, she tweeted: "Amazing. People can run around all day making the most outrageous racial generalisations about a tiny minority in this country by stigmatising "whiteness", and the sky fall in when you give them a taste of their own medicine. I am not doing double standards anymore."