S Africa opposition’s ex-leader keeps post after tweet dispute

Bloomberg

Helen Zille, the former leader of South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance, will remain as premier of the Western Cape province after giving a public apology for tweets that appeared to defend colonialism. Zille will be excluded from all party structures and the DA will control her communications, including her use of social media, DA leader Mmusi Maimane told reporters in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Zille has 1.14 million twitter followers, more than three times the number that the official party twitter handle has.
The DA is the country’s biggest opposition party and its seeking to capture more supporters from the black majority to broaden its appeal. It’s in power in the Western Cape, which includes Cape Town and is the only province not controlled by the African National Congress. Gains in council elections in August saw it take over several cities including the capital, Pretoria, and economic hub, Johannesburg.
Zille’s tweets about the legacy of colonialism were criticized as offensive to black people on social media and by the ruling African National Congress and some members of her own party. They threatened to undermine the party’s campaign to shift away from being viewed as a mostly-white opposition group. Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, the second-largest opposition party, warned last week it will stop voting with the DA in city councils it helps the party control if it doesn’t fire Zille as premier.