Helen Zille on De Klerk: 'He decided to dismantle apartheid'

DA federal chairperson Helen Zille has again found herself in hot water after her  comments about racist laws and former president FW De Klerk.

This week, Zille came to former apartheid president FW De Klerk's defence after a Twitter user accused him of being “the burning issue” in the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) delay to lay charges against those implicated in alleged state looting.

In a series of tweets this week, Zille said De Klerk was not guilty of state looting and that he “dismantled apartheid”.

“De Klerk decided to dismantle apartheid. If he hadn't, the ANC would still be bogged down in the mess of its so-called liberation camps and infighting. They had no viable armed struggle to speak of,” she said.

When accused of being a racist for her views, Zille said “there are more racist laws today than there were under apartheid”.

“All racist laws are wrong. But permanent victimhood is too highly prized to recognise this,” Zille added.

When it was suggested that Zille was like controversial UK media personality Katie Hopkins, she said: “I tell the truth, as anyone with a modicum of intelligence would recognise.”

Zille has been trending on social media since she made the comments.