Zille’s presence at an anti-vaxx gathering sends wrong message

Helen Zille doesn’t care what people say about her and she is proud about going where the “evidence” takes her and will, no doubt, ascribe her presence at an anti-vaxx gathering in Cape Town to the fact that she has “an open mind”.

Getting a selfie with notorious anti-vaxx UK cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra at a conference organised by BizNews – a noted purveyor of things conspiratorial – Zille would have known the message she was sending.

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That message was associating herself with the views of Malhotra and others who start off claiming there are millions of vaxx-related deaths and segue into sinister plans to reduce the population of the world. Is that a good look for a party that wants to draw support from moderate, thinking South Africans?

Is this just another indication that there are those in the Democratic Alliance who want not only to drag it to the right in local politics, but also to associate the party with global right-wing conspiracy theories?

Zille must be aware that the “vaccine deaths” propaganda has been increasing, thanks to the likes of Malhotra, who now makes his living out of his contrarian views.

Is it a bandwagon she should haul her party on to?

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