Jou ma se … P-word pandemonium on Twitter over Julius Malema insult

South Africans woke up in disbelief on Tuesday to discover a derogatory word, often dropped in heated conversation in the Western Cape, trending on Twitter.

And it had many atwitter when they realised it involved a comment made by a journalist after being addressed by EFF leader Julius Malema at the end of a press conference.

"Waking up to find p**s trending is the most South African thing I've seen today," said magazine editor Themba.

Eyewitness News has apologised unreservedly to Malema for the foul language used by its reporter Barry Bateman in conversation with another reporter after the press conference outside the Hawks' offices on Tuesday.

The debate over his use of the word spread fast and furiously across Twitter on Wednesday. While many observers traded barbs and insults, the inevitable memes also took centre stage.

Here is a sample of the reactions captured in tweets:

WARNING – Strong language in the following tweets, not for sensitive readers.

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