Zille must account for tweet on land, race - Steenhuisen

John Steenhuisen spoke to Eyewitness News in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, where his party is responding to the drought in the province.

KIMBERLEY – Democratic Alliance (DA) interim leader John Steenhuisen has distanced himself from Helen Zille’s latest controversial tweet, saying the federal council chair needed to answer for the post herself.

Steenhuisen spoke to Eyewitness News in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, where his party is responding to the drought in the province.

Last month, Zille shared a cartoon by Jeremy Nell.

It depicts a conversation between what appears to be a black and a white man and draws comparisons between rape and land dispossession.

WATCH: Zille’s responsible for her own Twitter account – Steenhuisen

The post sparked a furore, but Zille said she retweeted the cartoon to highlight generalisations associated with race.

Zille has been accused of perpetuating the stereotype that black men are sexually overactive and suspected rapists.

Steenhuisen said he didn’t believe in generalisations and stereotyping.

“First of all, I don’t believe in racial generalisations on either side. I don’t think racial stereotyping helps anybody.”

He said Zille must account for what she tweeted.

“She needs to answer on that. I believe people and leaders must be held accountable for their own Twitter feeds.”

Steenhuisen had disagreed with Zille in the past when she tweeted about the so-called positive aspects of colonialism.