Helen Zille accused of ‘celebrating’ end of free Twitter

Cellular giant MTN recently announced that it would be stopping offering customers free Twitter usage on Tuesday at midnight.

Western Cape premier Helen Zille has weighed in on the matter, tweeting on Tuesday that it will be “fascinating to see the impact on the platform.”

Tomorrow MTN's free Twitter ends. Will be fascinating to see the impact on the platform.

— Helen Zille (@helenzille) September 24, 2018

While the tweet may be considered relatively uncontroversial, particularly compared to Zille’s notorious colonialism tweets, reactions on Twitter show that not everyone sees it that way.

One user on Twitter accused her of “celebrating” the end of free Twitter for MTN subscribers, adding that she “never loved us poor people.” Another accused her of “misleading people,” another said she had expressed “excitement” at the end of free Twitter and another labelled her an  “unrepentant fascist.”

Another tweet expressed the view that Zille “wakes up and looks for new ways to insult black people unprovoked.” Whether or not it is connected to the “free Twitter” tweet is unclear.

READ MORE: Helen Zille apologises for justifying colonialism

So, you're celebrating Mrs zille ? Ei lonogqwirha lo, you never loved us poor people!

— Eugene Ngema (@NgemaEugene) September 25, 2018

Stop misleading people Wena Zille

— ṡıяṃѧɢєẓı (@SirMagezi) September 25, 2018

https://twitter.com/TNdiya/status/1044446973435281408

https://twitter.com/WelsWG/status/1044514265841963009

https://twitter.com/Chisana1990/status/1044483967129456640

The issue surrounding the free Twitter tweet may be lightweight compared to the potential backlash to Zille’s latest piece of writing.

In a column in The Daily Maverick, Zille accused SA of having embraced a “victimhood culture.”

Zille tweeted on Wednesday morning: “My column today about how a minor slight sheds light on the major transition our country is going through. The dignity culture, assumed by our constitution, is slipping away, being replaced by a victimhood culture that is driving us apart,”

From the Inside: Cultural shifts, from honour to dignity to victimhood https://t.co/CRXIUjEKjS By Helen Zille @helenzille pic.twitter.com/WmsBTZj99e

— Daily Maverick (@dailymaverick) September 25, 2018

While the column has only been published for a few hours, it seems to already be receiving a backlash.

One user said it “exemplifies your baseline belief that you don’t see our victimhood as legitimate.”

Another labelled the politician “Helen ‘I know the native better than she knows herself’ Zille”.

This column, exemplifies your basline belief that you dont see our victimhood as legitimate. And then at the same time you speak proudly about how you fought vehemently against an institution whose legacies continue to legitimize our victimhood.

— Crosshatch&Slipping (@LZindela) September 25, 2018

Helen "I know the native better than she knows herself" Zille pic.twitter.com/NwsDMvGHVR

— A Southy Girl 🖤 (@Vuyo_Seti) September 25, 2018

Zille’s term as Western Cape premier ends next year. It was recently announced that Alan Winde is the DA’s candidate for her replacement.

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