JUSTICE MALALA: Helen Zille - In a hole and digging furiously
'She sounded like Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and President Jacob Zuma rolled into one'
Western Cape premier and former DA leader Helen Zille faced a leadership moment last week. A leadership moment is when an individual, a player in some or other space, has a chance to rise above his own small corner, above the selfish interests of his own constituency, and embrace what could be termed “the greater good”. It is never an easy thing to turn to those who support you and ask them to listen to others. It is a lonely road. Make no doubt about it, when Zille tweeted that colonialism had its positive aspects, she was echoing the views of many, many of her fans and political supporters.Zille and these supporters feel no qualms about her tweet: “For those claiming legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative, think of our independent judiciary, transport infrastructure, piped water etc.” There is so much that is so wrong about this sentiment, and the arrogance behind it, that one feels too weak to even begin to count the ways in which it offends. Yet let us not be naïve: there are m...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.