Call for Zille's colonial tweets to be debated in WC legislature

20 March 2017 - 15:15 By Aphiwe Deklerk
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The ANC in the Western Cape wants the provincial legislature to debate Premier Helen Zille’s colonial tweets.

Khaya Magaxa‚ the party’s acting chairperson‚ on Monday wrote to speaker Sharna Fernandez requesting an urgent debate on the matter.

  • Zille says the DA is copying the ANC's racial agendaWestern Cape Premier Helen Zille has turned on her own party‚ saying that the Democratic Alliance risks falling prey to “African racial nationalism”.

Zille last week caused an uproar on Twitter when she posted tweets that appeared to be justifying colonialism.

"For those claiming legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative‚ think of our independent judiciary‚ transport infrastructure‚ piped water etc‚" she teeted.

"Would we have had a transition into specialised health care and medication without colonial influence? Just be honest‚ please‚" she wrote in a second tweet.

  • Maimane 'angry, offended' by Zille colonialism tweetDA leader Mmusi Maimane has revealed how angry he became when he read Western Cape premier Helen Zille's tweets in defence of colonialism.

Zille had just landed in South Africa after an official trip from Singapore and her tweets were linked to her observation on that country progress after it was also colonised. The tweets have landed Zille in trouble with her party which is currently investigating them with a view to holding an internal disciplinary process.

Said Magaxa: "I hereby call on the speaker for an urgent debate as soon as possible and have this request accelerated to have an earlier sitting of the provincial legislature."

  • Helen Zille and the myth of the White SaviourWestern Cape premier’s Twitter defence of colonialism has roots in the SA liberal tradition based on notions of white superiority, writes Panashe Chigumadzi

He said Zille’s tweets had caused an outcry and were part of her ongoing campaign to "attack people of colour‚ insult citizens‚ smooth over colonialism‚ renege on her oath to uphold the Constitution... and embarrass our legislature‚ province and country".

Magaxa had on Thursday attempted to have Zille respond to his questions about the tweet during a committee meeting but she declined‚ saying the meeting was not the correct platform.

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