In a tweet on Monday morning, DA federal executive chairperson Helen Zille zeroed in on a politically charged comment from EFF leader Julius Malema on Sunday in which he made generalisations about whites and history and hinted that it was wrong for black people to be “afraid” to topple “the statues of white people”.

She accused Malema of hate speech, going as far as to say it would meet the narrow definition of actually inciting harm.

Zille also seemed to suggest there had been a shortfall in the online outrage department after Malema had made his speech in North West, in yet another barb at her critics for what she has termed “fauxrage” (a coinage for false outrage on social media, which she has additionally blamed on social media bots and claimed she’s been a major victim of).

Malema was speaking ahead of a by-election on Wednesday to elect a new council in Mamusa after the municipality was dissolved and placed under administration last year.

ALSO READ: Malema: Stop voting ANC, or you don’t love yourself

In his speech, Malema accused black voters of incorrectly targeting African migrants when their real oppressors have, according to him, been white people – something he has said in the past and was a sentiment that was also controversially expressed by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule last year.

The DA laid charges of hate speech against Magashule in September for saying: “You must never despise people who have the same skin colour with us. Their colour, whether it’s people from Mozambique or Angola or Nigeria or anywhere in the 54 countries in Africa, you must know you are from Africa. Because there are many others with whitish colour – you don’t know them, they are there. You see them all the time, but you can’t say this one ke le kwerekwere (offensive term for foreigners), this one comes from somewhere else. They are here in this country. They have never been attacked and they are so-called foreigners because their colour is white. And you must understand why Africans must unite is because the whites don’t want Africa to come together…”

Similarly, on Sunday, Malema said: “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 a genocide against us, took land, raped our mothers, killed our child in Coligny for picking up a sunflower; they kill our people saying that they have mistaken them for baboons. You’re even afraid to collapse the statues of white people. Why? Because you hate yourself.

“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,” said Malema.

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 responded that Malema was guilty of “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.”

Her tweet, as usual, divided opinion strongly. Her supporters tended to agree that Malema had uttered both hate speech and been allowed to get away with it, with little outrage, while her critics failed to see what had made it hate speech at all.

It’s history Helen, you can’t erase the thuggish behavior of what you did to us. The worst is pretending it never happen, sies — Professor JP Mahlangu???? (@ProfMahlangu) January 13, 2020

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

It would have been fireworks had you made the same silly racial proclamations Helen. Can you imagine. "Black people hijack and kill us all the time maybe its time we slaughter them all". Fireworks — Sandile Nxazonke (@SandileSNgobeni) January 13, 2020

Isn't this statement Factual? — Sizwe Ndu Madlopha (@Seezwe_Madlopha) January 13, 2020

What the EFF stated is of more value than what you just said . There is no imminent violence, it’s all in your head . All we need we still need to deal with the wrongs of the past , they where too horrible. And need to be addressed , hence race can’t be ignored in addressing — The Trinity God (@MnguniReymon) 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

Where do you see hate speech? Facts are stubborn Helen pic.twitter.com/HSFsz90FQ0 — African (@ali_naka) January 13, 2020

Of course there will be no outcry: Malema seems to be able to say anything he wishes. — Margie Symons (@margiesym) January 13, 2020

It's a fact Helen, it's not generalization. Keeping on denying it when you know deep down in your mind is true is what should raise an outcry. You were once a journalist for crying out loud, you should know these things. Or were you a propaganda machine like the rest of them? — Solomon Mahlangu (@tipesca) January 13, 2020

I'm not English, but I think your interpretation of the statement by Julius Malema has dribbled you. But twitter will deal with you in this context, by helping you understand what you don't understand. pic.twitter.com/oJc5BIjaSe — ????Harambee ⚪ (@MculuNtsako) January 13, 2020

There won't be outrage because people like Malema get treated differently. Double standards is frustrating and sad — l e t h a b o ! (@CheetahPlains) January 13, 2020

What's that new word you and your fans created recently? You are being exactly that. — Scelo ???????? (@Scelo_H) January 13, 2020

(Compiled by Charles Cilliers)

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