Privilege and post-matric qualifications: Natasha Mazzone & Godrich Gardee in heated spat
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Image: Esa Alexander
A political squabble between former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee and DA MP Natasha Mazzone turned ugly after questions about her post-matric qualifications were raised.
It all started after Good Party’s Brett Herron questioned Mazzone’s qualifications following claims she edited her Wikipedia page to remove the word “advocate” from her qualifications in her biography.
“Until yesterday it claimed her profession was “advocate” — you need an LLB to be an advocate,” said Herron.
Responding, Mazzone said her lack of a post-matric qualification was a well-known fact and she always teased herself about only having a matric pass.
She said Herron was a “sick and damaged man” who waited for the morning after her father’s death to take a dig at her.
“You are a lying, troublemaking political scoundrel. You are exactly where you belong,” she told him.
Let me explain how SICK a person can be. On the morning that my father dies, Brett Herron decides that I will be too weak to fight his lies. Thing again you sick and damaged man. You are a lying, trouble making political scoundrel. You are exactly where you belong. https://t.co/IvCFdhQKwP pic.twitter.com/5pK8C8vuIg
— Natasha Mazzone MP (@Natasha9Mazzone) April 16, 2021
Your chief whip was informed. So pull the other one, it has bells on it. What you are doing is evil, wrong and you are not the person I thought you were. I have always teased myself for being a matriculant. You know that. pic.twitter.com/srYJlfwl7s
— Natasha Mazzone MP (@Natasha9Mazzone) April 16, 2021
Shortly after clarifying her qualifications, Mazzone turned her attention to Gardee after he mocked her for not having a degree.
Mazzone clapped back, saying Gardee’s degree got him “nothing”.
And your degree got you....NOTHING!
— Natasha Mazzone MP (@Natasha9Mazzone) April 16, 2021
She asked why Gardee “was kicked out of parliament”, saying it was the “strangest thing”.
Has anyone else noticed that with his impressive degree and all, we STILL don’t know why @GardeeGodrich was kicked out of Parliament...strangest thing!
— Natasha Mazzone MP (@Natasha9Mazzone) April 17, 2021
And as the EFF continue their attack, together with their racists, racist little bot army working out of Braamfontein, they forget who they are dealing with. The more you attack the more I fight. This gives me the fuel I need right now. Bring it on punks! I’m LOVING IT! pic.twitter.com/8chDgQRnjV
— Natasha Mazzone MP (@Natasha9Mazzone) April 17, 2021
In a heated back-and-forth spat, Gardee said he voluntarily stepped aside and was not fired.
He said he stepped aside “to give way to others to lead me and the country”.
I voluntarily stepped aside to give way to others to lead me & the country....I never applied to be in @ParliamentofRSA on @EFFSouthAfrica list...so there was never a skop out from that salary you are proud of....I am TOO OLD to lead but very young to be led..to realise EOLWC.. https://t.co/Xg7PkvhRbd
— Godrich Gardee (@GardeeGodrich) April 17, 2021
He said Mazzone’s white privilege got her everything she had.
And white privilege got you everything.... https://t.co/SZg5KJrkKn
— Godrich Gardee (@GardeeGodrich) April 16, 2021
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