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Social media faux pas by SA politicians

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Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba. Picture: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba. Picture: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Our politicians have had yet another eventful year of social media blunders. From poor wording to false claims to public online spats, South African politicians kept our social media feeds colourful when they were not doing their jobs. This is a list of the most prominent social media blunders by politicians.

Fikile Mbalula’s arrest celebration tweet gone wrong

Police minister Fikile Mbalula. Picture: Jaco Marais

Minister Fikile Mbalula had plenty of brow raising tweets this year but one particular tweet stands out. Mbalula made news headlines in October for one of the most embarrassing reasons for a police minister. Mbalula took to Twitter, as he usually does, to announce a so-called victory arrest following a tragic shooting in Philippi East, in the Western Cape.

Throwing around one his colourful catch phrases, “bazowuchama bawuphuze” in the tweet in question, which he translated as “they will live to regret the day they choose crime over law abiding – we hunt them” [sic]. It later turned out that six of the 10 suspects pictured in his tweet were members of a family transporting a coffin containing a deceased relative to a funeral in the Eastern Cape. He has since deleted the tweet.


Helen Zille’s tweets on colonialism

Helen Zille, premier of the Western Cape. Picture: Wikus de Wet/Netwerk24

In March, former leader of the Democratic Alliance, Helen Zille, tweeted a list of controversial comments about colonialism. The Premier of the Western Cape received insurmountable backlash from Twitter users, political parties and columnists for these comments. In June, Zille was suspended by The DA from all party activities pending her disciplinary hearing. This was followed by her public apology. “After a period of debate and reflection, I recognise the offence caused by my tweet on 16 March 2017 with regard to the legacy of colonialism. I therefore apologise unreservedly to the South African public who were offended by this tweet,” she said.

The tweet that received the most backlash has not been deleted and still appears on her profile. In response to why she did not delete it, Zille said: “It is out there. No point in deleting it.”


Lindiwe Sisulu’s 10-year typo

Lindiwe Sisulu; at the ANC stalwarts and veterans nationalconsultative conference in; Constitutional Hill Johannesburg. Picture: Elizabeth Sejake/RapportPHOTO:

In a response to comments about her having a sense of entitlement in the ANC leadership, Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu tweeted that she joined the struggle against the apartheid regime when she was six years old. This immediately caught people’s attention on the social media platform. She soon apologised and said this was a typing error and the she actually joined the struggle at the age of 16.


That time Mmusi Maimane looked a little bulky

DA leader Mmusi Maimane. Picture: Twitter.

At the national day of action protest, opposition parties to the ANC marched to the Johannesburg central district led by DA leader Mmusi Maimane. When videos of the march reached social media, users questioned whether Maimane was wearing a bullet-proof vest at what he called a peaceful protest.

Maimane soon addressed the question and said he had received direct threats to his life on the day.


When Malusi Gigaba’s alleged affair came to haunt him on online

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba has announced the appointment of new members to the South African Airways (SAA) Board. Picture: Elizabeth Sejake/Rapport

The online beef between Minister Malusi Gigaba, Norma Gigaba and Buhle Mkhize – who the minister allegedly had an affair with – sky rocketed this year. The conflict between the three escalated after Norma Gigaba’s interview with Enca. In a Twitter she created to address some issues, Mkhize responded to some of the content from the interview. She detailed various personal events that happened between the trio and threatened to divulge more if the couple continues to mention her. “Clearly y’all are both not over me”, she wrote on her profile.

Minister Gigaba has not released an official statement on this.



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