As the EFF set to launch their manifesto on Saturday, the DA put out a statement outlining 10Â things that they believe the EFF, in the guise of Julius Malema, needs to apologise for.
Now we know that no political party is perfect, but we find the DA’s move audacious. But game, set, match – we asked Twitter to help us list things the DA should say sorry for.
1. The DA should apologise for Penny Sparrow.
In January, Democratic Alliance member Sparrow had charges pressed against her by the party and steps taken to suspend her membership, and the party also issued a statement condemning her comments comparing black people to monkeys. But some were worried about the double standards the party was displaying, leading us to our next point…
I see DA on my timeline denouncing racism. At this rate, Kohler-Barnard would be coming out to condemn #PennySparrow too ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
— Moloto Mothapo (@MolotoMothapo) January 4, 2016
2. The DA should apologise for re-instating Dianne Kohler-Barnard who shared a post on Facebook glorifying PW Botha, and life under Apartheid.
@GvanOnselen #thingstheDAshouldapologisefor Dianne Kohler Barnard pic.twitter.com/lWkJPfwh2l
— Vumile Mahayiya (@vumzza) April 30, 2016
3. The DA should apologise for Sam Pienaar.
@helenzille @SADailyPoll a party who welcomes an apartheid killer like Sam Pienaar into its ranks is a setback for transformation.
— Wesley Fester (@FesterWesley) March 8, 2016
#DAsaysorry for Sam Pienaar.
— sable banterlope (@comradesipho) April 30, 2016
#thingstheDAshouldapologisefor Sam Pienaar pic.twitter.com/StkU9NyFk0
— Vumile Mahayiya (@vumzza) April 30, 2016
4. The DA should apologise for naming a road in Cape Town after FW de Klerk.
Recently @Our_DA renamed a highway after apartheid leader, #FW_De_,Klerk… To me that was ‘voetsek’ i dont care about black people’s pain.
— Adziliwi Nematandani (@adziliwi) April 28, 2016
5. The DA should apologise for that time Helen Zille called learners in the Western Cape “refugees”.
#DAsaySorry for Helen Zille calling black people from the Eastern Cape refugees in their own country.
— Wandy (@Wandy_Zee) April 30, 2016
6. The DA should apologise for its sex scandals.
DA is the last party to talk about sex scandal they r professionals in that field
— Sammy Senamela (@SammySenamela) January 8, 2016
Let’s see, there’s Masizole Mnqasela, a DA Member of Parliament, who was found not guilty of raping a schoolgirl. He said it was a political smear campaign, adding that he is “too sexy to have to rape anyone”.
7. The DA should apologise for Cape Town.Â
@khadijapatel @thedailyvox apologize for being a safe haven for racists, calling Africans refugees in CPT
— Odirile Seemise (@OdirileSms) April 30, 2016
@khadijapatel 4 perpetuating apartheid spatial planning in CT & excluding working class poor from the city @Our_DA @ZackieAchmat
— Emma Daitz (@emma_daitz) April 30, 2016
For perpetuating white supremacy in the People’s Republic of Capetonia. https://t.co/ypf9Mynr6Q
— Francois (@Franswaa_vz) April 30, 2016
For continuing to build concentration camps in the WC for the Black poor.Bllikiersdorp DuNoon Khayelitsha etc https://t.co/mjgaOvedVS
— Tshepo Motsepe (@TshepoM22) April 30, 2016
8. The DA should apologise for undermining media freedom when Zille went in on Carien du Plessis.
We’re going to use the DA’s own tweet here as reference.
Malema should apologise:
3.For undermining media freedom in 2010 when he called a BBC journalist a “bastard†& “bloody agent†#EFFManifesto— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) April 30, 2016
By the above standards, the DA should apologise for Helen Zille for suggesting Carien du Plessis is a self-hating white woman.Â
9. The DA should apologise to the people of South Africa for unsolicited correspondence, from which we cannot opt out. Â
🙄 pic.twitter.com/KA8siddno3
— EFF Chief of Stuff (@mxxolisi) April 30, 2016
.@khadijapatel 4. For flooding my postbox with junk asking me to host a meeting in my house. It offends me that they think I would :'(
— Koketso Moeti (@Kmoeti) April 30, 2016
Can ICASA do something about @Our_DA and their smses? This is really harassment. Worse, they don’t have an ‘opt out’ option.
— Ù†ØÙ† سعداء (@Makoanyane_R) April 30, 2016
.@khadijapatel 3. For texts that have no ‘opt out’ option.
— Koketso Moeti (@Kmoeti) April 30, 2016
10. The DA should apologise for its tone deafness that inspires missives to Julius Malema and the EFF. Â
@khadijapatel
first is to apoligise for suggesting EFF must apologise. It is dangerous to throw stones if you are in a glass house.— Sure Kamhunga (@SureKamhunga) April 30, 2016
DA keeps getting tonality wrong even after Eusebius spent a book doing them the favour of explaining what the issue w their tone is 😂😂😂😱
— Gugulethu Mhlungu (@GugsM) April 30, 2016
U read my mind.Tone, timing, no insight into what constitutes “first things first” PLUS sensitive & prickly as hell https://t.co/fMqjejYcWz
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) April 30, 2016
for its obdurate tone of superiority, arrogance & paternalism. https://t.co/n5d3TrgMuG
— Ebrahim Fakir (@EbrahimFakir) April 30, 2016
And then, just because the DA shills are going to accuse us of being ANC lackeys (🙄), here are a couple of tweets from DA supporters are unapologetic about.Â
#DASaySorry For showing SA good leadership
— Khalixx_76 (@Khalixx76) April 30, 2016
#DAsaysorry for delivering a matric pass-rate of 84.7% in the Western Cape.
Education comes first! pic.twitter.com/HRXprm7DNi
— Not In My Name (@Ant_vT) April 30, 2016
Featured image:Â The shoes of Helen Zille, the leader of the political party the Democratic Alliance can be seen decorated with the colours and the logo of her party as she addresses a rally in Soweto, Johannesburg. The Democratic Alliance is the second most supported political party in South Africa and along with all other parties have been campaigning throughout the country ahead of the elections scheduled for 7 May 2014. Picture: IHSAAN HAFFEJEE (12.04.2014)
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article referred Lennit Max as police commissioner, he was in fact an MEC, who has an interesting relationship with Ms. Zille.