Helen Zille has accused EFF leader Julius Malema of hate speech after comments he made about targeting white men instead of black foreigners.
Delivering a speech in Mamusa, North West, on Sunday ahead of by-elections there, Malema said it was wrong to target Nigerians, adding that black people were “afraid of collapsing the statues of white people”.
“As black people, we kill Nigerians, accusing them of selling drugs, and we kill Zimbabweans, accusing them of stealing our jobs.
“Yet the white man committed genocide against us, took land, raped our mothers, killed our child in Coligny for picking up a sunflower. They kill our people saying they have mistaken them for baboons.
“You’re even afraid to collapse the statues of white people. Why? Because you hate yourself.”
#VoteEFF Malema:...killed our child in Coligny for picking up a sunflower, they kill our people saying that have mistaken them for baboons. You’re even afraid to collapse the statues of white people. Why? Because you hate yourself.
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) January 12, 2020
Malema went on to call for unity, saying: “Black People in SA, in Africa and in the diaspora, we are all the same, we are all facing the same struggle. We must unite.”
#VoteEFF Malema: Black People in South Africa, in Africa and in the diaspora we are all the same, we are all facing the same struggle. We must unite.
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) January 12, 2020
Taking to Twitter, the DA's federal council chairperson accused Malema of hate speech.
Zille said he was guilty of “another string of hateful race generalisations”, adding: “Will there be an outcry? I’ll wait a while.”
Another string of hateful race generalisations, not to mention hate speech (real threats of imminent physical violence). Will there be an outcry? I'll wait a while.
— Helen Zille (@helenzille) January 13, 2020
Zille's tweet sparked a debate, with many criticising her and supporting Malema.
However, some agreed that Malema often uses hate speech to deliver messages to his supporters.
Here is a snapshot of the reactions:
Where do you see hate speech? Facts are stubborn Helen pic.twitter.com/HSFsz90FQ0
— African (@ali_naka) January 13, 2020
There won't be outrage because people like Malema get treated differently. Double standards is frustrating and sad
— Lethabo (@CheetahPlains) January 13, 2020
As factual as you think colonialism was not so bad.
— Nat-King🇿🇦 (@BILLY__KING) January 13, 2020
Does Juju sign these off?
— Doug Walker (@Doug_A_Walker) January 13, 2020
Is that his example of polarized racially decisive rhetoric?
The double stds are becoming vile and obvious.
If I sent an equally polarized tweet they’d be calling for my head before noon!
another year of this and an AWB type backlash could be real.
Helen, news of this has been going around since Saturday and nothing in the news of yet, no mass outcry. In our country, threatening minorities with genocide is encouraged.
— Kev (@djkevking) January 13, 2020
You and @Julius_S_Malema are 2 sides of the same coin, both your rhetorics is for outrage and divide. I for one have learnt to let you two be and I think many people are also starting to do the same.
— Humani Duncan (@Makovnikovs) January 13, 2020
