Democratic Alliance (DA) interim leader John Steenhuisen and Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille are seemingly at odds over a claim Zille made on Twitter recently.
Over the weekend, Zille tweeted, “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 was debating the role of FW de Klerk, apartheid’s last President, in South Africa’s transition to democracy. Her tweet sparked controversy, leading some to question whether it reflected the official position of the DA.
Steenhuisen responds
In response to journalist Nickolaus Bauer’s inquiry, Steenhuisen on Tuesday disputed Zille’s claim and said he had “expressed my views on the matter” to her.
He said, “Helen Zille pointed out that all racist laws are wrong. This is true and is consistent with Helen’s long record of opposing injustice. Helen also made the comment that there are more racist laws now than there were under apartheid. This is not true, and I can’t see any evidence for it.
“I have today had a conversation with her directly and expressed my views on the matter. Helen has referred her tweet to the party structures to determine whether she has breached any rules or regulations of the party.”
Steenhuisen added that South Africa is “infinitely better, more just and humane society now than it was under apartheid.” However, he said the government is “deliberately driving wedges between South Africans.”
“This is totally wrong. Any law which excludes on the basis of race is inherently wrong. The high court judgement which says it is okay for a government to choose who it helps in a time of crisis on the basis of race is abhorrent. It must be taken on appeal and we will do that,” he said.
On Friday, the Pretoria high court dismissed DA’s legal challenge against the government’s use of Broad-Based Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) criteria in evaluating applications for small business relief.
Mmusi Maimane wades in
Former DA leader Mmusi Maimane, who had frequent disagreements with Zille over her controversial tweets, waded into the controversy on Tuesday.
He tweeted that apartheid laws, such as the Group Areas Act, Bantu Education Act and Separate Amenities Act, “do not equal BBBEE.”
“Things were really better when certain people were taking a break from Twitter. There are many problems with the way that BBBEE was implemented by the ANC, but the idea of comparing it to apartheid laws is one that seeks to spark division and to undermine national unity,” Maimane wrote.
Zille, who has 1.4 million Twitter followers, announced in February that she was closing her account. She claimed Twitter was an “evil platform” that has “degenerated into a platform for irrationality and mob-lynching.”
The ex-Western Cape Premier opened a private account, @ZilleTweets, and said she would only approve followers who were interested in “rational debate.” However, she started using her public account again barely two months later.