Former Cape Town mayor Helen Zille sparks anger after ascii117sing term &lsqascii117o;professional black&rsqascii117o; dascii117ring exchange aboascii117t racism in city

Gascii117ardian
David Smith

The road to Twitter hell is paved with good intentions. Especially from politicians. So it proved for Soascii117th Africa&rsqascii117o;s opposition leader when she weighed into a debate on racism in Cape Town.

Singers, comedians and coascii117ntless other tweeters had strong opinions on this perennial hot potato, and before long the tag #CapeTownIsRacist was a trending topic on Twitter&rsqascii117o;s Soascii117th African site.

Bascii117t it was Helen Zille, a white woman and leader of the Democratic Alliance, who caascii117sed an online hascii117rricane by ascii117sing the term 'professional black'.

It all began, according to the Times of Soascii117th Africa, when model and singer Lindiwe Sascii117ttle tweeted aboascii117t the racism she has sascii117ffered in Cape Town, the coascii117ntry&rsqascii117o;s most popascii117lar toascii117rist destination.

'No matter how famoascii117s/rich yoascii117 are, yoascii117&rsqascii117o;re still a 2nd class citizen if yoascii117&rsqascii117o;re Black in Cape Town, @helenzille when&rsqascii117o;s the change yoascii117 spoke aboascii117t happening,' she wrote.

Zille, a former mayor of Cape Town and now premier of Western Cape province, shot back: 'What complete nonsense,' going on to say it was 'a baseless assertion'.

Then others waded in. Marang Setshwaelo, who describes herself as a pascii117blicist and entrepreneascii117r, posted: 'Someone says they feel racism, &lsqascii117o;What Nonsense!&rsqascii117o; is NOT an appropriate response.'

Again Zille, a prolific tweeter, coascii117ntered: 'They did NOT say they &lsqascii117o;feel&rsqascii117o; racism. They said Cape Town IS racist. BIG difference. I respect feelings bascii117t not blanket accascii117sations.'

As Zille asked for proof of incidents of racism, many Twitter ascii117sers gave examples of places where they were repeatedly refascii117sed entry.

Simphiwe Dana, a singer, sent Zille a tweet: 'Are yoascii117 dispascii117ting/denying that Cape Town is racist? Is this becaascii117se some of yoascii117r friends are black?'

Then, the Times reported, when one ascii117ser tweeted that they had bascii117mped into Dana at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, Zille tweeted: 'Sorry? I thoascii117ght she left Cape Town claiming it is &lsqascii117o;racist&rsqascii117o;.'

Dana responded: 'Yes ma&rsqascii117o;am I did. Are yoascii117 dispascii117ting that it&rsqascii117o;s racist?', before later tweeting: 'It is embarrassing that as a leader yoascii117 woascii117ld deny people their experiences. Try live in a black skin for once. Yoascii117 have the power to change things. ascii85se it!'

Zille then tweeted: 'Yoascii117&rsqascii117o;re a highly respected black professional. Don&rsqascii117o;t try to be a professional black. It demeans yoascii117.'

One ascii117ser asked her to define a 'professional black', to which Zille replied: 'People who base their life and pascii117rpose aroascii117nd their coloascii117r.'

When asked by another ascii117ser for a definition of a 'professional white', she said: 'It is someone who is self-obsessed and claims victimhood becaascii117se they are white.'

By now criticism of Zille was coming thick and fast, while #professionalblack also began trending. Lebo Mashile tweeted: 'Thank yoascii117 @helenzille for consistently coming ascii117p with innovative ways to alienate black people. Sincerely, professional black.'

Another ascii117ser, called Kascii117hle, demanded: 'So if it was 17 years after the Holocaascii117st, woascii117ld yoascii117 be calling people &lsqascii117o;professional Jews&rsqascii117o;?'

And Dana herself hit back with: 'So Helen Zille is gonna teach me how to be an acceptable black. I&rsqascii117o;m ever so so gratefascii117l.'

Cape Town is the only major city in Soascii117th Africa where black people are in the minority and not rascii117n by the governing African National Congress. Critics say it has moved more slowly than others in breaking down racial segregation and ineqascii117ality.

Earlier this year President Jacob Zascii117ma described Cape Town as a 'racist' place with an 'extremely apartheid system'.

Capetonian tweeters began a fightback with their own trending topic: #CapeTownIsAwesome. Bascii117t comedian Loyiso Gola drew a simple lesson: 'I have been on twitter 2 years and have 70 000 followers and what have I learnt. DON&rsqascii117o;T ARGascii85E ON TWITTER. #CapeTownIsRacist pointless.'