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How to cite this thesis

Surname, Initial(s). (2012). Title of the thesis or dissertation (Doctoral Thesis / Master’s Dissertation). Johannesburg: University of Johannesburg. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/102000/0002 (Accessed: 22 August 2017). Political Parties and Organisational Reputation: Analysing Discourse on Twitter about Scandals Relating to the Democratic Alliance (DA)

Elzanne Amao

217090626

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree

Coursework Masters in Strategic Communication

in the

Department of Strategic Communication

of the

Faculty of Humanities

at the

University of Johannesburg

supervised by

Dr Elizabeth Lubinga

January 2019 ii

Acknowledgements

It is with great humility, having completed this mini-dissertation with the support of many that I wish to express thanks to the people below in helping me accomplish this milestone.

First, I wish to thank God for enabling me to persevere, for His blessings over my life and for carrying me through this time where life, work and studies collided.

To my supervisor, Dr Elizabeth Lubinga, I wish to extend my thanks for your guidance and advice. I especially wish to thank you for improving my technical ability through your sound academic experience.

Elaine Ainsworth, my fellow student, who walked this journey with me. Through many coffee dates and endless WhatsApp conversations you were my sounding board and often encouraged me. You taught me so much about the academic process and for this, I am truly grateful.

My brother, Werner, thank you so much for reading my dissertation with so much attention. I know it must have been very boring for you considering your field, but your input was so helpful and I appreciate that.

My mom, Alta, without your constant sacrifices I would have never been able to start studying – talk less of achieving my Master’s Degree! I owe so much to you. You have raised us selflessly and with so much love. I am very blessed to have you.

Finally, my husband Deji. It’s your fault I started this and it’s because of you I could finish. Thank you for your understanding, your encouragement, for brainstorming with me, for listening, for all the meals you cooked, for your prayers over me and your endless love. I am grateful for you and promise to be there with you every step of the way when you pursue future studies.

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Abstract

The increased use of social network sites, such as Twitter, has led to a shift in power dynamics between political organisations as newsmakers and citizens as consumers of news. With so many stakeholders active online, watching and engaging with matters concerning citizens, political figures and their affiliated political organisations have fallen victim to the fast-moving spread of information when saying/doing/posting material that is perceived to be politically incorrect or not in the best interests of the public (Ott, 2016:61).

The aim of this research was to examine how public discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders influences the reputation of the Democratic Alliance following two political scandals within the party. Strategic communication was used as the paradigmatic approach to the research using stakeholder theory, as the research concerned itself with the online discourse amongst citizens who are primary stakeholders in the political organisation. Consideration was given to the concepts of online discourse, co-creation, agenda-building, citizen participation, conversational valence and organisational reputation in order to contextualise political scandals within the online space.

The qualitative research methodology employed was a netnographic study to review online discourse amongst Twitter users engaging in salient conversations relating to the scandals. The data was analysed using manual coding.

The study revealed that public online discourse amongst stakeholders on Twitter can negatively impact the reputation of political organisations during times of political scandals. Based on the public’s perception of the politician, the discourse relating to the scandal can either hurt the politician’s reputation and brand (as was the case with Zille) or it can lead to an increase support of the politician (as was the case with De Lille), which in turn, harmed the DA.

Keywords: reputation, online discourse, co-creation, agenda-building, citizen participation, conversational valence

List of Abbreviations

ANC African National Congress DA Democratic Alliance EFF Economic Freedom Fighters ID Independent Democrats PAC Pan Africanist Congress of Azania

Table of Contents

Page number

INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1. Background and Introduction ...... 1 1.2. Political Scandals Relating to the Democratic Alliance ...... 3 1.2.1. Helen Zille’s Tweets about Colonial Legacies ...... 3 1.2.2. Patricia de Lille’s Public Conflict with the DA ...... 6 1.3. Problem Statement ...... 9 1.4. Research Aim ...... 9 1.5. Research Questions ...... 9 1.5.1. Main Research Question ...... 9 1.5.2. Sub-Research Questions ...... 10 1.6. Research Objectives ...... 10 1.6.1. Main Research Objective ...... 10 1.6.2. Sub-research Objectives ...... 10 1.7. Theoretical Perspective of the Study ...... 10 1.8. Definitions of Key Constructs and Theoretical Assumptions ...... 11 1.8.1. Online Discourse ...... 11 1.8.2. Co-creation ...... 11 1.8.3. Agenda-building...... 12 1.8.4. Citizen Participation ...... 12 1.8.5. Conversational Valence ...... 12 1.8.6. Organisational Reputation ...... 13 1.9. Relation between Research Questions and Constructs ...... 14 1.10. Research Methodology ...... 15 1.11. Ethical Considerations ...... 15 1.12. Structure of Study ...... 15

LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...... 17 2.1. Introduction ...... 17 2.2. Strategic Communication: A Conceptual and Theoretical Overview ...... 18 2.2.1. An Emerging Paradigm Empowered by Technology ...... 18 2.2.2. A Stakeholder-centric Approach ...... 20 2.3. Discourse in the Digital Age ...... 22 2.3.1. Political Communication in the Digital Age ...... 23 2.3.2. Influential Opinions through Public Engagement ...... 24 2.3.3. Stakeholders and Organisations Shaping Meaning ...... 25 2.3.4. Shaping a Nation through Public Participation ...... 26 2.3.5. Conversational Valence of Online Discourse ...... 29 2.4. Organisational Reputation ...... 31 2.4.1. Reputation: Reflecting the Stature of the Brand ...... 31

2.4.2. Bi-Directional Online and Offline Communication ...... 33 2.5. Summary ...... 34

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...... 35 3.1. Introduction ...... 35 3.2. Research Design ...... 35 3.3. Population...... 36 3.4. Community (Sampling) ...... 36 3.5. Data Collection and Analysis ...... 36 3.5.1. Research Planning and Entrée ...... 37 3.5.2. Data Collection ...... 38 3.5.3. Data Interpretation ...... 40 3.5.4. Ethical Considerations ...... 41 3.5.5. Research Representation ...... 43 3.6. Trustworthiness ...... 43 3.7. Summary ...... 44

FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS ...... 45 4.1. Introduction ...... 45 4.2. Theme 1: Political Party Bashing and Politician Distrust ...... 46 4.2.1. Party Reputation ...... 47 4.2.2. Politician Reputation ...... 48 4.2.3. 2019 Elections ...... 49 4.3. Theme 2: Politician Trust, Support and Encouragement...... 50 4.3.1. Trust, Support and Encouragement ...... 52 4.3.2. Rallying and Respect ...... 52 4.3.3. De Lille’s Political Future ...... 53 4.4. Theme 3: Empowered Citizen Participation ...... 54 4.4.1. Colonial Legacy Addressed ...... 55 4.4.2. African Identity Affirmed ...... 56 4.5. Theme 4: A Discourse of Difference ...... 57 4.5.1. A Discourse of Difference ...... 58 4.6. Interpretation of Data ...... 59 4.6.1. Interpretation of Theme 1 ...... 59 4.6.2. Interpretation of Theme 2 ...... 65 4.6.3. Interpretation of Theme 3 ...... 66 4.6.4. Interpretation of Theme 4 ...... 71 4.7. Summary ...... 73

CONCLUSION ...... 75 5.1. Introduction ...... 75 5.2. Summary of Key Findings ...... 75 5.2.1. Twitter: A Discursive Space ...... 76 5.2.2. Online to Offline: Agenda-building at Play ...... 76 5.2.3. Engagement: As Long As They Keep Talking ...... 76

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5.2.4. In Conclusion: Answering The Main Research Objective ...... 77 5.3. Limitations ...... 77 5.3.1. Stakeholders: A Study of Dialogue ...... 77 5.3.2. Discourse Redefined for Online Space ...... 78 5.3.3. Gender and Race Studies: Subjective and Vague Online Content ...... 78 5.4. Recommendations for Future Research ...... 78 5.4.1. Comparative research between South African Political Parties ...... 78 5.4.2. Political Studies: A Women’s Studies Perspective ...... 79 5.5. Summary ...... 79

REFERENCES ...... 80

APPENDICES ...... 93 Appendix 1: Patricia De Lille’s Statements (Tweets 4a and 4b) ...... 93 Appendix 2: Patricia De Lille’s Statement Following Her Resignation as Mayor ... 96 Appendix 3: Dataset Theme 1 (Political Party Bashing and Politician Distrust) .... 98 Appendix 4: Dataset Theme 2 (Politician Trust, Support and Encouragement) ... 117 Appendix 5: Dataset Theme 3 (Empowered Citizen Participation) ...... 124 Appendix 6: Dataset Theme 4 (A Discourse of Difference) ...... 135 Appendix 7: Letter to DA ...... 155

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List of Figures

Figure 1: The relation between the research questions in relation to the key constructs and theoretical assumptions ...... 14 Figure 2: A researcher’s position in netnographic studies ...... 37 Figure 3: Summary of the original Tweets that invited the responses that constitute the dataset ...... 45 Figure 4: Development of theme 1 in relation to research questions and dataset ...... 46 Figure 5: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Party Reputation” ...... 47 Figure 6: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Politician’s Reputation” ...... 48 Figure 7: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “2019 elections” ...... 49 Figure 8: Development of theme 2 in relation to research questions and dataset ...... 51 Figure 9: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Trust, Support and Encouragement” ...... 52 Figure 10: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Rallying and Respect” ...... 53 Figure 11: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “De Lille’s Political Future” ...... 53 Figure 12: Development of theme 3 in relation to research questions and dataset ...... 54 Figure 13: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Colonial Legacy Addressed” ...... 55 Figure 14: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “African Identify Affirmed” ...... 56 Figure 15: Development of theme 4 in relation to research questions and dataset ...... 57 Figure 16: Excerpts relating to theme 4 - “A Discourse of Difference” ...... 59 Figure 17: “History lessons from Zille and Sizwe Dhlomo’s colonialism twar” ...... 68 Figure 18: “DA Drops All Charges As De Lille Walks Away From Mayorship” ...... 69 Figure 19: “Outrage over Helen Zille's colonialism tweets” ...... 70

List of Tweets

Tweet 1: Zille’s Colonial Tweet ...... 4 Tweet 2: Zille’s Colonialism and Slavery Tweet ...... 5 Tweet 3: Zille’s Public Protector Tweet ...... 6 Tweet 4a: De Lille’s statement Tweet part 1 ...... 7 Tweet 4b: De Lille’s statement Tweet part 2 ...... 7 Tweet 5: De Lille’s statement following her resignation ...... 8 Tweet 6: De Lille denying a deal with the DA ...... 9

Introduction

1.1. Background and Introduction

Increased use of social network sites, such as Twitter, has led to a shift in power dynamics between political organisations as newsmakers and citizens as consumers of news. With so many stakeholders active online, watching and engaging with matters concerning citizens, political figures and their affiliated political organisations have fallen victim to the fast-moving spread of information when saying/doing/posting material that is perceived to be politically incorrect or not in the best interests of the public (Ott, 2016:61). The implication of this is that any online content, whether self-generated or published, can lead to reputational damage (Davies & Mian, 2010:331). This exposure can negatively impact the political organisation as well as the politician’s brand and can in the long term have a negative impact on the organisation’s reputation.

The potential reputational risk associated with the spread of information has been greatly enhanced by developments in media technology, such as access to wireless internet, smartphones and always-on media platforms (Ott, 2016:61). These tools have enabled citizens to play a more active role in engaging political organisations and using the online space as an agenda-building tool. The internet increases the demand for democracy and has been positively associated with political and civic participation (Lutz & Hoffmann, 2013:2). Civic participation means that the political organisation no longer controls the narrative because social media platforms (especially Twitter), have emerged “promoting open and democratic exchanges around many controversial topics” (Sharma, Saha, Ernala, Ghoshal & De Choundhury, 2017:1).

Online social spaces (social media, news platforms, video streaming sites and other platforms of collaboration) provide an open space where users can add to the discourse of political issues, thus shaping the opinions of others alongside the media (Vallaster & Von Wallpach, 2015:1504). In this way, citizens have become co-creators of news through online public discourse on matters relating to important institutions, such as political organisations - a privilege formerly reserved for a select few. The social network site, Twitter, has become a very important source of information and a platform where users can, through sharing and generating content, wield strong influence. One of the main reasons for Twitter’s influence is the real-time publishing aspect. Publishing breaking news and subsequent updates about

2 a topic takes place almost instantly and with approximately 355 million monthly users worldwide (Statistia, 2018), news has the ability to spread to a very wide audience. Another reason for Twitter’s influence is that users can contribute publicly to the various posts trending on the platform. This has made Twitter a frequently used platform for political communication as participation is indicative of public opinion (Stieglitz & Dang-Xuan, 2012:3500). Traditional media outlets such as radio and television have incorporated this influence into established means of news updates by informing listeners and viewers about the hashtags trending on Twitter. This indicates how discussions by citizens wield influence over media outlets with regards to topical matters. Li, Berens and De Maertelaere (2014:98) state that more than half of the users accessing Twitter daily use the platform not to necessarily engage with others, but to gain an overall perspective of what is happening within their network.

Twitter has evolved since its launch in 2006. The platform seeks to act as both a communication channel and a broadcasting tool (Greetham & Ward, 2014:1). Broadcasting takes place through posting a Tweet (a 250-character message that can be read by a user’s various followers and which can be shared by others to their extended network). Twenty per cent of Twitter posts contain sentiment or opinion about an organisation which has a great impact on the attitude and behaviours of the people reading these posts (Li et al., 2014:98). Communication takes place when users respond to the Tweets (communicating either directly with the creator of the Tweet or to other users). The conversational valence of these communicative interactions, especially amongst the politically-related Tweets which this research investigates, is often negative. One can argue that the conversational valence that stems from the communicative interactions of a particular Tweet, can impact the reputation of a political organisation or its politician in the public domain.

This research explores how certain political scandals pertaining to the Democratic Alliance (DA), have led to online discourse on Twitter and how these conversations could potentially damage the reputation of the political party and the politician. The research seeks to examine selective online discourse that took place on Twitter relating to the charges against Patricia de Lille by her own party and Helen Zille’s Tweet history regarding subjects relating to colonialism. The reason for the selection is due to the far-reaching implications these actions had on both De Lille and Zille’s political careers and their personal brand reputation. Furthermore, the responses to the Tweets provide insight into how public online discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders influences the reputation of political organisations. Strategic communication and various concepts relating to the practice as a paradigm are

3 employed to gain insight into the theoretical knowledge relevant to the study. Particular focus is placed on the strategic communication concepts of reputation, online discourse and stakeholder theory. Strategic communication operates as an umbrella concept and encourages goal-directed, bottom-up communication activities covered by previously “specialised” areas such as public relations, marketing, public diplomacy and campaigning (Holtzhausen & Zerfass, 2015:3).

1.2. Political Scandals Relating to the Democratic Alliance

This research investigates selected Tweets published on Twitter by Zille and De Lille which evoked a strong public response and where the Tweets and issues surrounding it, can be considered as political scandals. This was done in order to fulfil the research aim which relates to public discourse on Twitter and its influence on the reputation of the political organisation. Scandals are times when politicians struggle with symbolic power and where reputation and trust amongst civilians is at stake due to the public outcry these scandals evoke (Isotalus & Almonkari, 2014:3; Thompson, 2005:42). These scandals often involve the transgression of certain values and norms (Thompson, 2000:42) as is the case (both directly and indirectly) with Zille and De Lille’s cases. In both the scandals values and norms related to racial relations in post-Apartheid South Africa come to the forefront. Values relating to both the politician and the political party’s integrity are also called into question.

The use of Twitter by politicians has been extensively researched especially in relation to campaigning and interaction with stakeholders across the globe. This research seeks to investigate how this interaction and use of the platform can result in reputational damage for the party and the politician. Yaqub, Chun, Atluri and Vaidya (2017:614) report on how Twitter has become a major influence in what mainstream media reports on. Isotalus and Almonkari (2014:3) observe that scandals could not exist without the media. The authors also note that these scandals can only be understood when considering the role of the media. In this research, the concept of agenda-building addresses both the role of the media and the role of the citizen’s voice on Twitter in understanding the far-reaching implications of these scandals on the organisation’s reputation.

1.2.1. Helen Zille’s Tweets about Colonial Legacies

Zille has a public image as a politician and anti-Apartheid activist. She was one of the journalists who broke the story regarding Steve Biko’s death whilst in police custody. She

4 was also a member of the Black Sash – a group of white women resisting certain Apartheid regulations. When Zille, the Premier of the Western Cape and former leader of the DA, tweeted that certain aspects of colonialism were not “only negative”, post-Apartheid South Africans responded in anger to the suggestion.

On 15 March 2017 Zille, Tweeted the below message:

Tweet 1: Zille’s Colonial Tweet (@helenzille, 2017, March 15)

This Tweet came six days before the 57-year remembrance of the Sharpeville Massacre where 69 people were shot dead whilst protesting Apartheid South Africa’s pass laws. The Tweet brought about major reputational damage for the DA with the party leader, Mmusi Maimane, distancing the DA from Zille’s statement (Kubheka, 2017). Maimane later lodged a complaint against Zille who had to appear before the DA’s federal executive committee. The chairman of the federal executive committee, James Selfe, stated that Zille’s Tweets and subsequent justifications had damaged the reputation of the DA in the minds of the public (Shange, 2017).

On 13 June 2017 a press briefing was held where Zille, seated next to Maimane, apologised for her Tweet stating: “After a period of debate and reflection, I recognise the offense caused by my Tweet on the 16th of March [sic] with the regards to the legacy of colonialism I, therefore, apologise unreservedly to the South African public who were offended by this Tweet…” (Cape Talk, 2017a). The DA accepted the apology and it was decided to not suspend her, remove her from the office of the Premier or to terminate her DA membership. Selfe stated: “We have decided that in the interest of saving this country and getting ahead, we must accept her apology and get on to business.” (Cape Talk, 2017b).

Between 21 and 22 April 2018, Zille and Sizwe Dhlomo (a South African Radio and TV personality) engaged in a war of words on Twitter after Dhlomo Tweeted a comment at Zille about the American Slave trade. Zille responded by stating the below:

Tweet 2: Zille’s Colonialism and Slavery Tweet (@helenzille, 2018, April 21)

On 11 June 2018 the Public Protector of South Africa, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, released “report No 5 of 2018/2019 on an investigation into allegations of breach of the provisions of the executive ethics code by the premier of Western Cape provisional government, honourable Zille” (Public Protector South Africa, 2017:1). The report states that it comes after a complaint issued to the Public Protector by Honourable Khaya Magaxa, a member of the African National Congress and Western Cape Provincial Legislature (Public Protector South Africa, 2017:3). The grounds for the complaint were that Zille failed to act in a manner consistent with the integrity of her office and that Zille violated principles of the South African Constitution in that she divided the society on racial grounds and undermined South Africans with her personal beliefs (Public Protector South Africa, 2017:3-4).

The Public Protector’s report finds Zille guilty of the allegations stating that Zille’s freedom of expression (as allowed for by section 16 of the Constitution) caused many South African’s, who were victims of Apartheid and colonialism, pain and suffering (Public Protector South Africa, 2017:6). The report also states that Zille, as a person of influence, may not use her freedom of expression as stated by subsection 16(2)(b) of the Bill of Rights and suggests that “remedial action” should be considered against Zille (Public Protector South Africa, 2017:7).

Law experts widely criticised the report, stating that the Public Protector does not have the authority to investigate infringements on the Bill of Rights (Bateman, 2018). Zille asked for an interdict so that the suggested remedial action could not take place during her application to review the report. On 17 July 2018 Zille Tweeted:

Tweet 3: Zille’s Public Protector Tweet (@helenzille, 2018, July 17)

1.2.2. Patricia de Lille’s Public Conflict with the DA

The second scandal relates to De Lille’s public conflict with the DA – the party under which she served as mayor of the City of Cape Town (a DA run municipality).

On 10 December 2017, the Federal Executive Committee of the DA issued the so-called “Steenhuisen Report”. The report details the matter of negative media reporting relating to the tensions between De Lille and Alderman Jean-Pierre (JP) Smith, a mayoral committee member for safety and security for the City of Cape Town. The report clarifies that the media coverage has cast the DA in a poor light and continues to “cause significant brand damage to the party” (Democratic Alliance Federal Executive, 2017:3). The report also states that the DA caucus has become an “arena of mass contestation” with members of the caucus being afraid to speak up out of fear of being criticised by De Lille, the Speaker or the then Chief Whip and that the expression of different viewpoints may be deemed as “career limiting” (Democratic Alliance Federal Executive, 2017:4).

In February 2018 the DA opened a criminal case against De Lille. The party did so following an affidavit which was filed by a Johannesburg businessman stating that De Lille was involved in fraudulent situations involving bribery relating to a tender (Pather, 2018). Following the Steenhuisen Report, the affidavit and other allegations that played out in the media, De Lille Tweeted her statement against the allegations of the Steenhuisen Report and others on 3 May 20181:

1 Refer to Appendix 1 for the full statement relating to Tweet 4a and 4b.

Tweet 4a: De Lille’s statement Tweet part 1 (@PatriciaDeLille, 2018, May 3a)

Tweet 4b: De Lille’s statement Tweet part 2 (@PatriciaDeLille, 2018, May 3b)

On 27 June the High Court ruled that the DA’s cessation of De Lille’s DA membership was invalid and unlawful (Dentlinger, 2018). On 5 August 2018, Maimane and De Lille held a combined press briefing where it was agreed to that De Lille would step down as mayor of the City of Cape Town and that all charges against her would be withdrawn2.

Tweet 5: De Lille’s statement following her resignation (@PatriciaDeLille, 2018, August 5a)

2 Refer to Appendix 2 for the full statement relating to Tweet 5.

The responses to this statement on Twitter were filled with suggestions that the DA and De Lille made a deal, which led to her Tweeting the following statement on the same day:

Tweet 6: De Lille denying a deal with the DA (@PatriciaDeLille, 2018, August 5b)

1.3. Problem Statement

Online discourse has become an important part of forming the public’s opinion around political topics and social network sites, such as Twitter, have opened up the public sphere to encourage dialogue on a wide array of topics. Certain political scandals can plague a political organisation, leading to active online discourse amongst its various stakeholders on public platforms such as Twitter. Online discourse can lead to reputational damage of the party and the politician, as these conversations sustain the scandal in the public consciousness.

1.4. Research Aim

The aim of this research is to examine how public discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders influences the reputation of the Democratic Alliance following two political scandals within the party.

1.5. Research Questions

1.5.1. Main Research Question

1) How does the public online discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders influence the reputation of the DA during times of the political scandals under investigation?

1.5.2. Sub-Research Questions

2) How does Twitter enable citizen participation through political discourse in the public sphere around the scandals experienced by the DA?

3) How does online discourse relating to political scandals between citizens and select politicians of the DA, enable agenda-building from Twitter to traditional media?

4) What is the conversational valence of online discourse on Twitter about political scandals of the DA amongst stakeholders?

1.6. Research Objectives

1.6.1. Main Research Objective

1) To examine how the public online discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders influence the reputation of the DA during times of the political scandals under investigation.

1.6.2. Sub-research Objectives

2) To ascertain if Twitter enable citizen participation through political discourse in the public sphere around the scandals experienced by the DA.

3) To examine how online discourse relating to political scandals between citizens and select politicians of the DA, enable agenda-building from Twitter to traditional media.

4) To determine the conversational valence of online discourse on Twitter about political scandals of the DA amongst stakeholders.

1.7. Theoretical Perspective of the Study

Strategic communication was the overarching paradigmatic approach to this research with Stakeholder Theory being the lens through which the researcher approached the research topic. Stakeholder Theory was employed as the aim of this research concerned itself with the online discourse amongst citizens who are primary stakeholders of the political organisation. Stakeholder Theory is an interpretivist approach as the research seeks to understand the meaning and purpose (that is – the drivers of the online discourse) which the various Twitter users ascribe to the identified scandals and to establish how this manifests through their online discourse. Political organisations should increase their focus

11 on citizens because “if the actions of a stakeholder can affect the firm then it would be appropriate to address them” (Kivits, 2014:320). Van Rensburg and De Beer (2011:152) also corroborate this outlook by stating that “ongoing dialogue between organisations and their stakeholders provides the best approach to the management of complex issues that characterise contemporary society.” This is a vital approach in the modern-day society where social networks and news platforms can give birth to citizen-based agenda-building discourse in the online space.

1.8. Definitions of Key Constructs and Theoretical Assumptions

Refer to Figure 1 for an indication of how the research questions relate to the key constructs and theoretical assumptions.

1.8.1. Online Discourse

People engage in the public sphere on three levels: encounters with others, assembly around conversation and participation in mass media consumption (Bentele & Nothhaft, 2010:109). Political discourse in the online space builds upon these principles of public engagement around specific topics. Online social spaces (social network sites, news platforms, video streaming sites and other platforms of collaboration) provide an open space where users can add to the discourse of political issues, thus shaping the opinions of others alongside the media. The related theoretical assumption is that conversations on Twitter give the power of discourse to the citizens but at the risk of discourse creating an echo- chamber where users seem to only support opinions and ideas that agree with their own.

1.8.2. Co-creation

The nature of online discourse is that there is a manifestation of co-creation of opinion between politicians, the media and citizens. This is in the form of content, opinions and ideas that help shape the narrative and contribute to a particular conversation. Vallaster and Von Wallpach (2011:1505) postulate that the organisational brand can be seen as a set of social processes constituted by online textual interactions in a stakeholder network whereby different stakeholders have different expectations about the brand and different resources to uphold their brand-related interests. The related theoretical assumption is that online

12 discourse leads to the co-creation of subjective societal truths that differ between stakeholder groups engaged in the co-creating of brand meaning.

1.8.3. Agenda-building

Agenda-building considers the reciprocal influence of various political stakeholders on each other in relation to salient topics of discussion influencing matters of public interest (Kiousis & Strömbäck, 2015:388-389). These influencers can include politicians, parties, activists, voters and the media. The influence can be wielded through various channels such as press releases, interviews, news conferences and social media pages (Kiousis & Strömbäck, 2015:390). The key theoretical assumption is that, by employing the power of online social tools such as Twitter citizens can be, in certain capacities and scenarios, considered as political actors and agenda-building agents by directly or indirectly impacting organisational and/or institutional matters.

1.8.4. Citizen Participation

Citizen participation is the process whereby ordinary people (citizens whose sources of power are limited) take part in voluntary or obligatory processes (demonstrations or elections, for example) to influence decisions that will affect change (André, Martin & Lanmafankpotin, 2012:1-2). Stakeholder engagement is no longer a function of what the political organisation is willing to do or say, but is now determined by the stakeholder’s initiation of the conversation/topic - especially within the online space. The key theoretical assumption is that stakeholders (citizens) are no longer quiet observers but have the ability to build agendas and set the valence regarding a topic discussed amongst citizens.

1.8.5. Conversational Valence

Conversational valence can be seen as a rough measurement of online sentiment towards an organisation which can affect its reputation (Kohtes, 2014:18). The conversational valence of online public discourse, especially in relation to political scandals, is often negative. Ott (2016:60) remarks that comments and discourse on Twitter are often impetuous and defamatory and argues that Twitter teaches users to devalue others, resulting in hostile discourse. The key theoretical assumption is that conversational valence relating to specific topics on Twitter offers an insight into the perceived reputation of an organisation by the participating stakeholders.

1.8.6. Organisational Reputation

For the political organisation, there is a link between its reputation and that of its leader which implies that managing the leader’s reputation is a valid way to manage the reputation of the political organisation (Davies & Mian, 2010:331). Organisations are no longer in complete control of their own content on certain platforms (such as social network sites) since members of the general public can expropriate the owner’s content without explicit permission or without a deeper understanding of the intention behind the content. The implication of this for a political organisation is that any online content, whether self- generated or externally published, can lead to reputational risk. The key theoretical assumption is that both a political organisation and a politician’s reputations are shaped both online and offline with the two spheres affecting each other as they are constantly in flux and mutually inclusive.

1.9. Relation between Research Questions and Constructs

Key Constructs and Theoretical Research Questions Assumptions

How does the public online discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders Online Discourse and influence the reputation of Organisational Reputation the DA during times of the political scandals under investigation?

How does Twitter enable citizen participation through political discourse in the Citizen Participation public sphere around the scandals experienced by the DA?

How does online discourse relating to political scandals Co-creation, Agenda- between citizens and select building and Online politicians of the DA, enable Discourse agenda-building from Twitter to traditional media?

What is the conversational valence of online discourse on Twitter about political Conversational Valence scandals of the DA amongst stakeholders?

Figure 1: The relation between the research questions in relation to the key constructs and theoretical assumptions

1.10. Research Methodology

The qualitative research methodology employed is a netnographic study to review online discourse amongst Twitters users engaging in salient conversations relating to the scandals. Data was be collected through web-based tools and the researcher’s own browsing through records. The data was be analysed using manual coding.

1.11. Ethical Considerations

The chosen research design, netnography, is unobtrusive and non-influencing by nature and comprises of the monitoring of the communication and interaction of community members to gain practical insights based on their conversations (Costello, McDermott & Wallace, 2017:3). During passive observation of the netnographic leg of the research, content published will protect the privacy of the content creator by omitting their name, username and any other profile details. There is thus no ethical risk relating to the researcher harming the users on the Twitter platform through the researcher’s covert observation of these conversations in the public space. The data collected through these observations were aggregated and not disaggregated based on the individuals.

1.12. Structure of Study

In Chapter one, the topic and the context relating to aspects of the study will be introduced. The problem statement, research aim, research questions and research objectives will also be established and a brief overview of the research will be provided with particular reference to the theoretical perspectives, the key constructs, the key theoretical assumptions of the study, the research methodology and ethical considerations.

Chapter two will consist of the theoretical framework and literature review where the purpose and focus of the chapter is to provide an overview of theoretical topics that will endeavour to add value to the research question by contextualising and explaining key aspects thereof. Particular attention will be paid to online discourse, conversational valence, citizen participation and brand reputation.

Chapter three describes the research design and methodology employed to provide a sound research methodology foundation for the research. The focus will be on research design, details around the population and community chosen for study, data collection and data analysis.

Chapter four is dedicated to the research findings and analysis. Chapter five will conclude the research, detailing the limitations of the study and presenting recommendations for further research.

Literature Review and Theoretical Framework

2.1. Introduction

The French philosopher René Girard wrote about the mimetic nature of the response to scandals. The context of his study is based on narratives from the Bible, the gospels and Jesus Christ. However, the application of his theories is universal - especially in light of this research when he states: “When scandals proliferate, human beings become so obsessed with their rivals that they lose sight of the objects for which they compete and begin to focus angrily on one another” (Girard, 1996).

Political scandals are complicated situations that erode public trust in government, a political party or a particular politician (Lee, 2015:45; Ulbig & Miller, 2012:62). A politician or a political party gets espoused in a scandal of sorts, because their perceived public image is contradictory or inconsistent with their private or behind-the-scene behaviour, i.e. the transgression of their norms fall short of what is being preached (Thompson, 2000).

Scandals are often short-lived, quickly forgotten and largely depend on how the public weighs the situation and on the pre-existing perceptions of the political actors involved (Ulbig & Miller, 2012:62). The public may distort the facts around a scandal based on the politician or the political party’s image. Lee (2015:45), and Ulbig and Miller (2012:62), emphasise that political scandals are increasingly enhanced by the media’s ability to monitor public figures such as politicians on social media, the rise of an intrusive media culture and the development of new media technologies. There has been a personalisation of politics whereby the individual within the party becomes more prominent either in an individualised or privatised capacity. Individualisation concerns itself with the individual politician as a central actor in the political arena, whilst privatisation is about a focus on the politician’s private life (Isotalus & Almonkari, 2014:4).

Considering this, political communication taking place online needs to be considered. In fact, Thompson (2000) posits that when a scandal arises, it’s not enough for people to disapprove of it. Instead, people must express their disapproval to others. In a contemporary, internet- age context, a scandal is thus not only the actual transgression but the discourse surrounding the event being made public (Thompson, 2000; Lee, 2015:46).

This chapter will outline how strategic communication, as a paradigmatic approach, is empowered through technology. The main theoretical framework focuses on stakeholders and how stakeholder discourse are influencing organisations and their reputations. The literature will focus on key concepts relating to the research objectives and strategic communication, such as online discourse, co-creation, agenda-building, citizen participation, conversational valence and organisational reputation

2.2. Strategic Communication: A Conceptual and Theoretical Overview

Strategic communication and various concepts relating to the practice as a paradigm is employed to gain insight into the theoretical knowledge that, along with the research, provide insight into the research questions and forms the theoretical backbone of this study. Strategic communication is an approach that improves on the principles of Public Relations and offers a paradigmatic approach to aspects such as reputation management and stakeholder engagement.

Holtzhausen and Zerfass (2015:3) explain that strategic communication operates as an umbrella concept “embracing various goal-directed communication activities usually covered by public relations, marketing and financial communications, health communications, public diplomacy, campaigning, and so forth”. There are six relevant disciplines involved in the development, implementation and assessment of strategic communications by organisations (Hallahan, Holtzhausen, Van Ruler, Vercic & Sriramesh, 2007:1). These are management, marketing, public relations, technical communication, information/social marketing campaigns and political communication. This research examines various inter-disciplinary aspects of these disciplines, focussing particularly on political communication since the field of strategic communication within a political context has been under-examined (Kiousis & Strömbäck, 2015:383). The main investigation is around how the stakeholders perceives content or news about a politician, discuss it in the online space and the subsequent impact on the party and politician’s reputation.

2.2.1. An Emerging Paradigm Empowered by Technology

Over the last 20 years, there has been a major shift in the disciplinary concepts of strategic communication due to the various technological advances that have shaped social and organisational interaction. This idea is also supported by Overton-De Klerk and Verwey

(2013:362) who explain how the information-sharing capabilities of Web 2.0 (compared to Web 1.0)3 have improved communication, collaboration, social networking and the transformation of traditional media. Overton-de Klerk and Verwey (2013:370) consider the emerging paradigm of strategic communication and note that the enactment thereof is reflexively shaping the organisation. Hallahan et al., (2007:10) comment on the fact that digital technologies have blurred the lines of what was previously considered as “specialised” media and marketing practices such as publicity, sales promotions, advertising and so forth. In the 21st century, we observe a convergence of communication channels. This has affected the relationship between what the organisation puts out to the public and what it gets back: “Since the turn of the Millennium, the democratisation of digital techniques and technologies has brought a shift from [the] Postmodern ‘media logic’ (TV screen and Cyberspace) to [the] Metamodern ‘media logic of creative amateurs’ social network and locative media” (Kadagishvili, 2013:560).

Holtzhausen and Zerfass (2015:8) explain that the strategic communicator should understand and utilise mediatisation - a concept the authors define as the interrelation between changes in media and communication and the changes that take place in culture and society. In this context the authors clarify that “media” refers to the concept in broad terms, to include the internet and all forms of electronic communication. The authors explain that a constitutive model of communication allows for non-traditional means of communication, and also by extension, discourse, to take place in new environments such as Twitter in a de-aligned manner4. Within the constitutive model of communication, individual and shared meaning are shaped through the communication process (Holtzhausen & Zerfass, 2015:8). Technological advances like the internet, social network sites and instant news distribution mean that the message is not simply delivered to a selected audience. Instead, the meaning is shaped through the various channels and also by those who perceive it, leading to a point where multiple subjectivities are encouraged.

3 Kaplan & Haenlein (2010:61) explain how Web 2.0 differs from Web 1.0: “Web 2.0 is a term that was first used in 2004 to describe a new way in which software developers and end-users started to utilise the World Wide Web…While applications such as personal web pages, Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, and the idea of content publishing belong to the era of Web 1.0, they are replaced by blogs, wikis, and collaborative projects in Web 2.0”. 4 Conversational threads on Twitter often seem disjointed, taking place in an asynchronous manner, with a multitude of users participating in a conversation all at once but also not at all. The medium of delivery may also differ in that some people use words, shorted “text message” language and others pictures. This can often seem like a chaotic communication in the traditional sense of the word, but a constitutive model of communication makes allowance for this.

2.2.2. A Stakeholder-centric Approach

There are many stakeholders in the political organisation, but this research focuses on the specific relationship between citizens and political organisations. Stakeholders can be defined as “someone who affects or is affected by a company’s products or activities” and can be found either within or outside of an organisation (Baddache & Morris, 2011:6). Organisations, including political parties such as the DA, seek to engage with their stakeholders in order to build trust that will affect the business in a positive way (Enright et al., 2016:3). Citizens can be defined as “members of the broad public within a jurisdiction or affected by a particular decision” (Kahane, Loptson, Herriman & Hardy, 2013:8). The interest in this particular relationship is due to the fact that stakeholder engagement is no longer a function of what the political organisation is willing to do or say, but is now determined by the stakeholder’s initiation of the conversation/topic - especially within the online space. We live in a hyper-connected world where organisational transparency has become something society insists upon, which can be ascribed to the shift in power dynamics as discussed in the introduction. This is especially true when it comes to the relationship between citizens and political organisations.

Stakeholder theory has been an indispensable approach to organisational behaviour over the last few decades. Political organisations have realised the importance of increased focus on citizens because when a stakeholder can affect the organisation (i.e. impact the reputation negatively or positively), it is best for the organisation to address them (Kivits, 2014:320). Van Rensburg and De Beer (2011:152) corroborate this outlook by stating that organisations and their stakeholders should, in contemporary society, engage in an ongoing dialogue to discuss complex issues. This is a vital approach in the modern-day society where social network sites and news platforms can give birth to citizen-based agenda- building conversations. Through online platforms such as Twitter, an individual can start a relationship with key figures within an organisation or other stakeholders, thereby having the potential to affect the organisation (Laaksonen, 2016:241).

Enright et al., (2016:16) discuss certain approaches to stakeholder engagement in meeting emerging challenges and note that organisations should move beyond consulting stakeholders on reputation and pursue opportunities to drive impact by engaging on challenges of mutual concern. “For systemic issues such as climate change, inequality, corruption and discrimination, the purpose of stakeholder engagement must broaden from risk management and reputation-building to include partnership” (Enright et al., 2016:16).

This solution-based approach can work well for a wide variety of industries and with a wide range of stakeholders, especially political organisations. This is also a pro-active approach to stakeholder engagement as we see that stakeholders are taking responsibility for dialogue with organisations, especially looking at issues from a human rights perspective. The public has the ability to set the agenda and is empowered by platforms such as Twitter, to make their voices heard.

Strategic communication methods such as relationship maintenance strategies can be employed to maintain quality relationships and interactions between political organisations and their various stakeholders (Kiousis & Strömbäck, 2015:387). One place where these relationship maintenance strategies can be fostered and where stakeholders consume information is in the online space. Stakeholders are very aware of the political organisation and its representatives due to the accessibility to a variety of channels such as traditional media (TV, radio and print) and online platforms such as social networks, news platforms, blogs, wikis and video sharing sites. With the widespread development of technology, more than 4 billion people have an internet connection (Internet Live Stats, 2018) and, of these figures, 2.5 billion people own a smartphone (Statista, 2018). This means that a vast amount of information relating to the organisation's brand and reputation is communicated through online channels. In 2000, it was said that the internet would transform the fundamental relationship between governments and citizens (Young & Pieterson, 2015:93). Eighteen years later we see how this complex relationship has been shaped and continues to develop. Social network sites, particularly Facebook and Twitter, have become publishers of sorts. The internet allows people to exchange information within a personal network, individualised to the specific user.

There are 8 million South Africans on Twitter 90% of whom actively use the platform (Goldstuck & Patricios, 2018:3). Even though Twitter has seen a decline in user growth in the United States, it is still showing growth in South Africa. The reason for this is that it is still the platform of choice for citizens to engage in online discourse and debate about news, public figures and topical issues affecting the country. This means that even though user growth on the platform is minimal, engagement is one of the key benefits (Goldstuck & Patricios, 2018:4). The result is that people are more inclined to form their own opinions on political matters based on the news feed presented on their social media networks. This undermines the credibility of governments and political parties (Young & Pieterson, 2015:94). The credibility of political parties is affected by online public opinion because these

22 opinions are published and shared for everyone to see5. These opinions can also go viral, which refers to the rapid spreading of information through an online community. Public opinion has a direct impact on reputation. This means government-sanctioned communication is less relevant in their opinion formation which makes it difficult for governments, and by extension political parties, to manage the flow of information amongst citizen stakeholders using only traditional or mass media tools (Young & Pieterson, 2015:97).

2.3. Discourse in the Digital Age

Discourse and how it is used in various contexts has been studied for many years by the likes of Mikhail Bakhtin and Michel Foucault. Discourse is how humans communicate with each other whether it be through speech, the written word or imagery. Discourse (online or offline) should never be considered in isolation as “discourses act upon and influence one another in an act of intertextuality” (Neuberger, Engelmann, Quandt, Stede & Stieglitz, 2015:4). Digital media as a channel for public discourse means that digital communication should be seen as a set of systematic statements that create, construct and negotiate social norms. Discourse, even in the online space, encourages power and resistance (Tsuria, 2018).

The discourse of the public has always been shaped by external events and sources of information. The use of communication by those in power to shape the thoughts of the public is not a new concept (Holtzhausen & Zerfass, 2015:5). In the past, the media shaped and instigated public discourse. This concept is called agenda-setting (Mohn, 2015). With the onset of mass media, the public still could not participate directly, but a practice such as watching or reading the news made the public feel involved in a greater society (Bentele & Nothhaft, 2010:107). The internet has brought about a major change in how a message is communicated, as members of the public are now able to participate through direct communication with various organisations and individuals. While agenda setting focuses on the transfer of issue salience from media to public opinion, agenda-building considers the reciprocal influence of various political stakeholders on each other (Kiousis & Strömbäck, 2015:388-389). These influencers can include politicians, parties, activists, voters, media

5 Here one sees Holtzhausen and Zerfass (2015:8)’s constitutive model of communication at play.

23 etc. and the influence can be wielded through various channels such as press releases, interviews, news conferences and social media pages (Kiousis & Strömbäck, 2015:390).

2.3.1. Political Communication in the Digital Age

Political communication has been changed by the rise of social media and the internet. McNair (2011:xix) identifies the concept of "communication chaos" in the digital age, stating that the loss of control of political messages has been greatly enhanced. McNair (2006:55) postulates that a paradigm shift has been brought about in the field of political communications due to a variety of factors. The global democratisation of internet access, the rise of power of public opinion, the rise of public relations shaping public opinion, the declining efforts by journalists and the public to hold key political figures in high esteem and an increase in competitive news media, have all led to “communication chaos” (McNair, 2006:55). In order to better grasp aspects of “communication chaos” such as the response through online discourse on Twitter in relation to political, one has to contextualise political communication and understand the role of political actors.

There is an intentionality about political communications which McNair (2011:4) defines as purposeful communication about politics which includes all political discourse. McNair (2011:4) explains that there are three types of messages that constitute political communication. First, all communication aimed at achieving a certain objective as undertaken by politicians or other political actors. Second, all communication addressed to political actors by non-political figures. Third, communication about political actors and their activities covered by political media discussion.

There are thus various types of communication that can take place between political organisations and various other groups (such as citizens and the media). These communication types are often interdependently active due to the borderless nature of communication by means of always-on online channels. The first type is of particular interest to this study as McNair distinguishes between politicians and political actors. The term “political actor” is no longer a designation reserved only for those “individuals who have obtained at least some measure of political power and/or authority in a particular society who engage in activities that can have a significant influence on decisions, policies, media coverage, and outcomes associated with a given conflict” (Wolfsfeld, 2015:1). McNair (2011:5) employs a wider, more generic definition, stating that political actors are individuals who might influence decision-making processes through organisational and institutional

24 means. Citizens, through the power of online social tools such as Twitter can, in certain capacities and scenarios, be considered as political actors and agenda-building agents by directly or indirectly impacting organisational or institutional matters.

2.3.2. Influential Opinions through Public Engagement

People engage in the public sphere on three levels: encounters with others, assembly around conversation and participation in mass media consumption (Bentele & Nothhaft, 2010:109). The overarching trend around these three levels of engagement indicates that instead of acting as a homogenous mass, there is a trend towards individualisation. This can be ascribed to the ubiquitous nature of the internet (Bentele & Nothhaft, 2010:107, 109).

Political discourse in the online space builds upon these principles of public engagement around specific topics. Fabrega and Sajuria (2013:2) illuminate an important factor of online political discourse. Albeit, online platforms such as Twitter provide citizens with more options to access political conversation and information, it does not necessarily equate to improved political knowledge. Collectives of groups form in favour of, and against certain political issues such as the political scandals this research seeks to investigate. For these collectives to form, individuals need political knowledge, established a priori, as well as a shared space in which to partake in the conversation (Fabrega & Sajuria, 2013:2). The public’s political knowledge is often shaped by the actions (and omissions) of the mass media such as TV, newspapers and radio (Fabrega & Sajuria, 2013:2). Online social spaces (social network sites, news platforms, video streaming sites and other platforms of collaboration) provide an open space where users can add to the discourse of political issues, thus shaping the opinions of others alongside the media.

Hassen (2015:109) explains that discourse has three functions: an identify function, a relational function and an ideation function. Twitter has become known as a micro-blogging site which implies short and frequent posts which can be in the form of thoughts, entertainment, links to other sites and so forth. The question can be asked whether a micro- blogging platform allows actual discourse to take place. The type of discourse that takes place on Twitter has been studied with it being called “lightweight” and “opportunistic conversations” (Zappavigna, 2017:202) as well as “shallow” and “reduced deliberations” (Ott, 2016:61). During online discourse on Twitter ambient affiliation takes place (Zappavigna, 2017:216). The author states that social bonding takes place amongst Twitter users assembling around a particular topic without them engaging in direct communication

25 with each other. This correlates with Hassen’s relational function of discourse. It is Hassen’s final function of discourse, namely ideation, which is strongly present in the co-creation that takes place during online discourse especially within the concept of agenda-building and in relation to conversational valence.

2.3.3. Stakeholders and Organisations Shaping Meaning

During online discourse there is a manifestation of co-creation. This is in the form of content, opinions and ideas that help shape the narrative and contribute to a particular conversation. Co-creation has always been seen as a process where there is a process of participation between an organisation and stakeholders to generate and develop new meaning, value, products or services (Ind & Coates, 2013:3; Skaržauskaitė, 2013:118). It often refers to physical creation whereby the stakeholder shares their intellect and time (Ind & Coates, 2013:4).

Raymond (1998) writes an essay entitled the “Cathedral and the Bazaar” where he details his experience creating an open-source project based on the Linux model6. He creatively dubs organised development from a central source “cathedral” development, suggesting that cathedrals are structures that are planned in detail, and controlled by a plan. They are indeed impressive, but, ultimately, not organic. In contrast, Raymond paints the idea of the “bazaar” – a marketplace with little to no organisation or regulations and where different patterns emerged since there is no planning involved, thus, an organic space that allows processes to happen naturally. This is an apt metaphor to use in the concept of online discourse. The cathedral approach – the official Tweet or statement published on a platform such as Twitter – may be carefully crafted with consideration before publishing it to the public. However, the conversations that form once the public responds to a certain Tweet is reminiscent of the bazaar concept. It happens, almost chaotically, in an asynchronous manner different from face-to-face conversation.

Terblanche (2014:3) defines co-creation as an experience-oriented concept which focuses on the interaction between the organisation and the stakeholder. Vallaster and Von Wallpach (2011:1505) postulate that the organisational brand can be seen as a set of social processes constituted by online textual interactions in a stakeholder network whereby

6 Linux is an open-source operating system that developers can use to build items such as website applications, software etc.

26 different stakeholders have different expectations about the brand and different resources to uphold their brand-related interests. To consider both the opinions of Terblance as well as Vallaster and Von Wallpach, one can state that during co-creation online discourse shapes the brand based on the experience, expectations, interactions and interest’s stakeholders have in a brand.

Co-creation can also lead to agenda-building. Vallaster and Von Wallpach (2015:1504) argue that co-creation can shape brand meaning, that is, how stakeholders associate with and perceive the brand. There are two sides to agenda-building through social media. The first is that organisations like the DA and politicians like Zille and De Lille can use social media to push their own agenda in an efficient manner. These messages are sent in real- time, directly to the relevant stakeholders, reaching an audience not bound by geography or time and come from the primary source. As Mohn (2015) states: “Social media is supplanting traditional media in the cultural landscape and provides a way for cultural figures to interact directly with the public and impart their agenda”.

The public (online users) are empowered through various online channels, to set the agenda for political organisations and policymakers to take note of. This is often done at a grassroots level where all members of society, especially those previously without a voice or power, are contrasted with major political powers in their ability to affect long-lasting change. It has also been found that political campaigns have used social media to market to and persuade citizens’ opinions (UiO: Department of Media and Communication, 2014). This, however, is not done in a manner that encourages dialogue between the candidate and the public, but rather through social media activity that feeds the mainstream media stories.

2.3.4. Shaping a Nation through Public Participation

All citizens are stakeholders of a political organisation – particularly the political party in power and the party wishing to attain majority rule. Citizen participation is a means to ensure that the citizens of a democratic society (stakeholders) can voice their opinions regarding matters of public concern (Parker, 2003). It is also the active process whereby ordinary people (i.e. citizens whose sources of power are limited) take part in voluntary (e.g. demonstration) or obligatory (e.g. elections) processes to influence decisions that will affect change (André et al., 2012:1-2). The two fundamental aspects of citizen participation are that communication takes place within the context of a community of sorts and that there is cooperation (participation) during the discussion (Lara & Naval, 2012:189).

In the past, citizen participation was characterised and ascribed to middle-aged people of high socio-economic and educational levels (Lara & Naval, 2012:187). Participation of citizens in politics have been linked to various factors such as age, education, skills, gender, race, social capital and political efficacy (Zheng & Schater, 2017:411-414). Not all of these factors play an equal role or ring equally true within the South African context. Per illustration, Zheng and Schater (2017:411) postulate that formal education provides citizens with a sense of responsibility towards their local communities and affirms the importance of public service and the role of the citizen. The opposite seems true for the South African citizen. During 1953, the South African Apartheid government introduced the Bantu Education Act. This act subjected black people to lower levels of education where, amongst various other human rights crimes, black people were taught how to perform menial acts of labour that would keep them subjected to the rule of white people (Wiley & Kornbluh, n.d.). The fact that black South Africans did not receive proper education for many decades, did not deter them from understanding their responsibility towards their local communities, the importance of public service or the role of the citizen within a country. In fact, because many factors such as age, education, skills, race and social capital were skewed towards a specific agenda during the Apartheid era, this led to political empowerment and activism amongst many citizens in South Africa.

There have been concerns raised because of the apathy of younger demographics to engage in citizen participation to affect change, but Loader, Vromen and Xenos (2014:143) argue that there has been a displacement of former methods of participation and that younger citizens and those who have embraced technology, have chosen alternative approaches to networking. There is a prevalence of the use of social network sites such as Twitter as an alternative approach/channel. This may be ascribed to the fact that these sites are social by nature and encourage a sense of belonging to a community (Lara & Naval, 2012:187). Another reason may include that there is technically a decision that needs to be made by the citizen on how to participate in political conversations. There are the traditional means (writing letters to the press, partaking in political rallies, marches, attending public hearings etc.) or modern, online means of participation. The citizen weighs the cost (such as time, money, efforts etc.) and benefits of each means of participation and makes a decision as to which channel will have more advantages (Zheng & Schater, 2017:410-411).

Initially, the socio-economic gap between those with access to the internet and those who without, were very high. Although the gap is narrowing with the democratisation of the internet, there is still a disadvantage for some to participate online. This concept is

28 particularly prevalent in South Africa. Media Monitoring Africa has presented its case before the Competition Commission’s Data Services Market Inquiry to campaign for internet access to be considered as a basic human right (Mitchley, 2018). The price of data in South Africa is very high compared to the rest of the world (especially other third world countries) and Media Monitoring Africa argues that the marginalised will be left behind if they’re not able to afford access to the internet. There is thus a big drive, on a constitutional level in South Africa, for the democratisation and equality relating to information and communication technologies. This is an important matter if, within a democratic country, online citizen participation is to become a significant part of the dialogue between political organisations and their stakeholders – especially during times leading up to elections and when discussing basic service delivery matters.

The effectiveness of citizen participation on social network sites and other information and communication technologies have long since been adopted by political organisations. The approach is named e-participation and is the process whereby two-way interactions between government and citizens are encouraged (Zheng & Schater, 2017:409). Two-way interaction and direct lines of communication bring the stakeholder closer to the political organisation. Key political figures such as Zille and De Lille take personal responsibility for the Tweets on their Twitter profiles which results in the fact that they can be in direct contact with stakeholders – whether positive or negative conversations pursue. As Loader et al., (2014:148) state, with or without the politician or the political party’s consent, their values and vision for future citizens are called into question by citizens engaging with their Tweets.

Loader et al., (2014:145) name the concept of a younger demographic engaging online with political topics of sorts, “the networked young citizen”. One of the attributes they assign to the online behaviour is that networks (such as Twitter and the temporary networking that forms in response to a conversation such as the Tweets studied in this research), do not imply a space where all participants are equal. The participants are all shaped by different individually lived experiences (Loader et al., 2014:145). However, what social network sites, such as Twitter, allow for and encourage is direct engagement with political figures and other networked individuals from various backgrounds where the concept of political and public orientation can be shaped. Although citizen participation, especially e-participation’s key goal is to encourage healthy dialogue and considering a plethora of individual views and opinions, the nature of Twitter has encouraged strongly emotional responses and conversations.

2.3.5. Conversational Valence of Online Discourse

The conversational valence of online public discourse, especially in relation to political scandals, are often deeply dividing and either characterised by positive or negative valence regarding a particular topic. Girard (2000:88) explains that an individual persecuted for his/her actions inspires mob-like action from a crowd. When there is an outcry against an individual, the crowd (in this case citizens reacting to a political scandal), becomes potential persecutors seeking to purge the community from the elements which they deem as corrupt, negative, wrong or unsavoury (Girard, 2000:88; Thompson, 2000). The stakeholder is engaged through an iterative process involving various triggers and therefore it is important for political organisations to understand the different aspects that determine online engagement (Heinonen, 2018:148) and the emotion behind these conversations.

There are many factors that lead to positive and negative conversational valence – especially on Twitter. Himbelboim, Sweetser, Tinkham, Cameron, Danelo and West (2016:1384) state that, in general, positive emotional valence is associated with content that is compatible with the user’s opinions, whilst negative emotional valence is associated with content that is incompatible with the user’s opinions. The major contributing factor to positive valence during online discourse is peer support whereby users find a sense of belonging or social support. This includes emotional and behavioural characteristics such as the personal relevance of topics, ease of use of the platform, self-identification and brand familiarity (Heinonen, 2018:156). Contributors to negative conversational valence are factors such as irritation, community intimacy (especially as it relates to perceived exclusion as opposed to actual exclusion) and subjectivity (Heinonen, 2018:158). Himbelboim et al., (2016:1392) postulate that the emotional valence during online discourse tends to, predominantly lean towards a particular side (negative, positive or neutral) based on the clusters of communication that form in response to a certain conversation. It has also been found that negative or emotionally charged Tweets tend to be retweeted more often compared to neutral Tweets (Ott, 2016:61).

Thompson (2000) predicates that public discussion relating to scandals presupposes opprobrious discourse. Because scandals are no longer restricted to spatial-temporal contexts, and because content can spread virally across social network sites in a matter of minutes, the negative valence can (but does not always) lead to reputational damage (Thompson, 2000). Joyce and Kraut (2006:728) researched participation in online communities and found that during the discourse, a negative post often invites even more

30 negative responses. They ascribe this to reciprocity and modelling based on tone, form and style of the initial post. The study also suggests negative messages can trigger participation. Often, negative conversations relate to disagreement with the author of the Tweet or other Twitter users’ responses. Bolander and Locher (2017:611) studied conflicting and consensual disagreements on social media networks and make a distinction between “flaming” and disagreement. Flaming is an online colloquialism referring to hostile and aggressive behaviour. On the other hand, disagreement can range in degree and intensity. Thelwall, Buckley and Paltoglou (2010:415) found that important events are associated with an increase in negative sentiment in the online discourse.

Kohtes (2014:17) states that besides the volume of online discourse generated by citizens around a particular topic, conversational valence is one of the most important measures denoting whether stakeholders feel positive, negative or neutral toward a particular topic. Conversational valence can be seen as a rough measurement of online sentiment towards an organisation which can affect its reputation (Kohtes, 2014:18). Studies have indicated that the valence of discourse can have a greater impact on others rather than the volume relating to a topic (Kohtes, 2014:29). The sentiment behind Tweets plays a big role in the diffusion of the information and the ability for certain Tweets to go viral (Yaqub et al., 2017:614). However, negative valence calls for a broader conceptualisation of engagement and discourse since negative valenced aspects of engagement can lead to disengagement or a distancing from the organisation at hand (Yaqub et al., 2017:614; Heinonen, 2018:150).

The concept of social networks such as Twitter acting as an echo-chamber has also been proven by studying over 2.5 billion Tweets over an eight-year period amongst politically- savvy users (Garimella, De Francisci Morales, Gionis & Mathioudakis, 2018:1). A social- media echo-chamber means that during political discourse, users are only exposed to opinions and ideas that agree with their own. The concern around this is that the citizens become more polarised about political issues instead of engaging in healthy debate with the opposition (Garimella et al., 2018:1). The simplistic nature of Twitter posts, due to character limitations, means that topical matters cannot necessarily be discussed or considered in complex ways (Ott, 2016:61). There is also a concern that the “personalisation” of politics will undermine deliberation about a topic. However, Loader et al., (2014:148) posit that the scepticism7 citizens show toward mainstream political organisations and politicians and

7 Not cynicism, which the authors by implication deem as not helpful to democratic discussion and growth.

31 other citizens can actually be interpreted as a democratic attitude of a nation willing to reflect on their personal circumstances and situations affecting their country.

2.4. Organisational Reputation

The agile and dynamic nature of online discourse, communication and dispersion of information has led to the birth of online reputation management in order to mitigate potential reputational risk. In order to understand the relationship between online and offline reputation management, the research investigates the concepts of reputation, image and personal branding and how these shape the political organisation.

Ettenson and Knowles (2008) state that reputation is a “companycentric” concept that focuses on the credibility and respect that an organisation has among various stakeholder groups such as employees, investors, regulators, journalists and local communities. They conclude that reputation is about creating the legitimacy of the organisation in respect of all the various stakeholders. From the perspective of Davies and Mian (2010:331), reputation refers to the impressions that stakeholders form about an organisation. They argue that these associations are formed by external factors such as first-hand experience and media coverage. The organisation can thus pro-actively shape the reputation amongst its various stakeholders (Ettenson & Knowles, 2008), but the stakeholder plays an active role in this process, capable of forming their own opinions via first-hand experience or external locus of influence (Davies & Mian, 2010:331).

2.4.1. Reputation: Reflecting the Stature of the Brand

Reputation reflects the brand and can be perceived as either positive or negative. For the political organisation, there is a link between its reputation and that of its leader which implies that managing the leader’s reputation is a valid means of managing the reputation of the political organisation (Davies & Mian, 2010:331; Pich & Armannsdottir, 2018:35).

Oržekauskas and Šmaižienė (2007:93) elaborate on an important aspect of reputation relating to politicians stating that: “politicians must have strong values, principles and rules for engagement; and this...should be the background for identity and start for shaping one's image and reputation”. Oržekauskas and Šmaižienė (2007:90) state that politics is an image-intensive sector due to the fact that most citizens vote for a politician or a party without having read a manifesto of what they stand for, but rather on an acceptable political image.

Scandals can impact the reputation of both the political brand and the politician

(Oržekauskas & Šmaižienė, 2007:93). Image and reputation are interlinked and factors such as stakeholder engagement/interaction, representatives of the party, public organisations and the media can affect and influence both (Oržekauskas & Šmaižienė, 2007:92; Pich & Armannsdottir, 2018:48). Image and reputation are also affected by the association forged between the political party and the politician. This follows a widely supported theory as discussed amongst scholars of reputation literature, which concerns itself with the fact that the image of the political party’s brand and the image of the politician’s personal brand are constantly interacting and cannot be separated from each other (Davies & Mian, 2010:333). Benoit (2015:304) discusses this relationship, stating that a damaged reputation can hurt the political organisation or politician’s persuasiveness because credibility and trustworthiness are important to convince stakeholders and credibility can be damaged due to actual or perceived wrongdoing.

Renshon, Dafoe and Huth (2018:328) investigate country-specific reputation and leader- specific reputation. The former refers to the history of a country – in the case of South Africa, the country-specific reputation is one of an oppressive Apartheid regime that ended and the country was united under the leadership of Nelson Mandela in 1994 but that still suffers under racial tension. Leader-specific reputation refers to the past actions of a particular leader (or, in this case, politicians who are leaders in their own right albeit not of the party) (Renshon et al., 2018:328). Reputation can thus adhere to any agent such as a political organisation, a ruling group etc. when it is concerned with a dichotomy between a person and organisation (Renshon et al., 2018:328).

Scandals that lead to reputational damage are often focussed on the individual rather than the political organisation (Isotalus & Almonkari, 2014:4). The authors suggest that there is a personalisation of politics because the scandals are often more closely associated with the individual politician than the overarching ideologies of the party. The politician representing a specific political party acts as a behavioural and communicative extension of the brand of the political organisation. Political leaders rely on many areas of the media to seek publicity (Davies & Mian, 2010:331), push a political agenda and promote their personal brand within the political party. The concept of personal branding was first identified by Tom Peters in 1997. Wilson (2003:2-3) defines personal branding as a strategic process that creates the externally facing identity of an individual. The process allows an individual to take control of the perception of others and manage those perceptions strategically to achieve a goal. Wilson explains that personal branding determines a variety of factors such as how credible

33 the individual’s opinions and ideas are, how seriously competitors will take him/her and how much tolerance people will allow in their dealings with him/her. Within the political organisation, a politician depends on this concept. The personal brand relating to a politician is his/her biggest asset and the reason why stakeholders (such as citizens) will believe in what the politician stands for – rightfully or not (Alexander, 2015). Dominguez (n.d.) explains that electoral stakeholders will vote for the political figures who they know, trust and who share their values, emotions, perceptions and worldviews. In this sense, a politician’s personal brand essentially becomes his or her main strategy to ensure continuity.

Bentele and Nothhaft (2010:104) make the observation that the office-holder - a person in public life with public responsibility - is bound by a higher force than mere societal expectations. To paraphrase Bentele and Nothhaft (2010:104) per illustration: Zille is not a free agent. Rather, she is bound by the fact that she does not speak for herself but as a representative of her party, her government, and South Africa - she represents some kind of organisation or institution. Both the organisational brand and political figure’s personal brand should be treated as an extension of each other and, within the bigger context of public online discourse, as mutually inclusive factors influencing reputation.

2.4.2. Bi-Directional Online and Offline Communication

In light of the study of reputation, distinguishing between offline reputation management and online reputation management is necessary in order to provide a relevant context. Organisations are facing a traditional issue (reputation) in a relatively new and unfamiliar context (the online environment). Organisational reputation can be defined as the organisation’s public prominence, its public esteem, and the series of qualities or attributes for which an organisation is known (Kiousis & Strömbäck, 2015:388). Online reputation management involves tracking and monitoring search engine result pages, online media and all content in the internet sphere for all mentions made about a particular organisation or brand (Verwey & Muir, 2014:140). It is important to keep in mind that online discourse affects both online and offline reputation and these aspects are in constant flux.

With so many active stakeholders online watching and engaging with organisations, any negative exposure or actions on social network sites can lead to serious reputational risk that can lead to strategic, business, regulatory, legal and market risks (Culp, Gomes & Narveson, 2015:6). Delving deeper into the nature of online discourse between stakeholders and the organisation, it becomes clear that there are several unique features that make

34 online feedback/observations different from the word-of-mouth feedback of the pre-digital age. Dellarocas (2003:6) states that the bi-directional communication, the scale of online feedback, and the low-cost relating to online communication are aspects that makes online different from offline. Also, online interaction is unique in that users can create online identities and there is a lack of contextual cues that would facilitate the interpretation of subjective information (Dellarocas, 2003:6).

Social network sites have allowed opportunities for reputational risk to advance at a faster pace due to the free-flow of information the internet allows. Labrecque, Markos and Milne (2011:38) discuss the complex nature of the internet with particular focus on the fact that organisations are no longer in complete control of their own content on certain platforms since members of the general public can expropriate the owner’s content without explicit permission. Attacks on reputation are deemed serious because image and reputation are vital. The shift in power dynamics around who controls the narrative plays a role - the stakeholder (communicating via social media) feels entitled to the truth, empowered by the digital tools at their fingertips and encouraged by other community members experiencing the same issue. This power dynamic adds to the rapid spread of online discourse relating to a political scandal, thus making it more difficult for the political organisation to control the narrative, and by extension, its reputation.

2.5. Summary

The purpose of this literature review was to discuss key concepts relating to political scandals and political communication within the internet area. Within the broader concept of strategic communication, the concepts of online discourse, co-creation, agenda-building, citizen participation, conversational valence and organisational reputation were discussed to contextualise political scandals within the online space. Strategic communication allows for all these various inter-disciplinary aspects to be examined. The research methodology will be analysed in the next chapter in an attempt to marry the research aim with the literature study.

Research Methodology

3.1. Introduction

The aim of this research was to examine how public discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders influences the reputation of the DA following two political scandals within the party.

This chapter details the research methodology, research design, population, community (sampling), data collection and analysis, ethical considerations and how trustworthiness was established during this study in an attempt to achieve the research aim and answer the research questions.

3.2. Research Design

Qualitative research typically focusses on certain events that take place and, on the development and result of those events from the perspectives of those involved (Teherani, Martimianakis, Stenfors-Hayes, Wadhwa & Varpio, 2015).

The research design chosen was netnography. It is an ethnographic approach to an online world and studying behaviour taking place online (Bastick, 2015; Kozinets, 2015). Netnography is the term given to a “specific set of related data collection, analysis, ethical and representational research practices” whereby most of the data collected and the observation of the actors creating this data, happens freely on the internet and mobile applications (Kozinets, 2015:79).

Netnography is particularly well suited for online discourse about political topics as it is an encompassing research methodology suitable for the 21st century. Netnography lends itself well to observational research around political scandals such as the ones being investigated (Pollok, Lüttgens and Piller, 2014:3). The authors state that the relative anonymity of the internet allows Twitter users to express themselves more freely (Pollok et al., 2014:3). Through their Tweets, users communicated their true feelings in real time relating to the original Tweets, which were at a later stage observed by the researcher. This means that the opinions of the users are honest and not influenced by bias towards an observer such as with qualitative face-to-face interviews or ethnographic observation and participation with the researcher. It has also been found that the content found published by users in online

36 communities such as Twitter has higher degrees of originality when compared to respondent participation in conventional research methods such as surveys (Pollok et al., 2014:4).

The methodology is useful for studying communities and the relationships between the community members and/or the organisation. This makes it particularly suitable for strategic communication studies as the researcher can now analyse conversational interactions within the social environment, accessing credible knowledge and gaining a better understanding of the community (Toledano, 2017:599).

3.3. Population

For the purpose of the study, the population consisted of conversations by Twitter users relating to political scandals affecting the DA. Kozinets (2010) and Toledano (2017) argue that netnographic research concerns itself with the community or conversation, rather than a particular population. Kozinets (2002) stresses that the content generated needs to be recontexualised.

3.4. Community (Sampling)

The community was deduced based on non-probability, purposive sampling and only content published by Twitters users engaging in six salient conversations relating to the scandals was considered in the dataset. The community size of responses was 867 comments from various Twitter users forming conversations around the topics. It was a homogenous sample as all comments relating to the six conversations were related. With non-probability and purposive sampling, the conversations were selected based on the researcher’s judgement and the purpose of the study (Babbie & Mouton, 2009:166). For the purpose of the study, text-based content was analysed. Furthermore, the research only analysed Tweets written in English or where the Tweet contained less than 30% colloquialisms written in vernacular.

3.5. Data Collection and Analysis

A qualitative content analysis of discourse on Twitter relating to the identified political scandals was conducted using the steps identified by Kozinets during netnographic research (Kozinets, 2002; Kozinets, 2010). During netnography, the data is observed in the online space. Secondly, it is saved or recorded. Finally, the data must be analysed and interpreted

37 with meaning extracted to answer the research question (Kozinets, 2015:198). Data analysis during netnography takes place in six overlapping steps (Kozinets, 2002; Kozinets, 2010).

3.5.1. Research Planning and Entrée

In some literature, Kozinets distinguishes between Steps 1 and 2 (Kozinets, 2010:1), whilst in others, he uses a combined approach (Kozinets, 2002:63). For the sake of this research, a combined approach was used. Steps one and two involved the research planning and entrée. During these two initial steps, the researcher had to first establish specific research questions (as detailed in Chapter 1) and choose particular online forums. In this case, the selected forum was Twitter.

Second, the researcher had to educate herself about the forum and the type of participants that they wish to investigate (Kozinets, 2002:63-66). In this research, based on online observations, participants were South African citizens responding to the matters at hand.

It is the researcher’s opinion that some participants are avid followers of the current issues in the South African political landscape (past and present matters), whilst other participants’ statements suggest an opportunistic response to a trending issue. The exact ratio doesn’t matter to this study, because whether participants are informed or not, the matter at hand is how the online discourse eventually relates to reputation.

Björk and Kauppinen-Räisänen (2012:68) identify four states in which the researcher can conduct netnographic research amongst participants:

Overt Observer Participant

Covert Lurker Spy

Passive Active Notification

Level of participation

Figure 2: A researcher’s position in netnographic studies (Björk & Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2012:68)

An observer advises the audience of their presence, asks for permission to observe and does not participate in the conversation. The participant shares with the community that they are acting in the role of researcher but is also active in online discussion. The lurker reveals a passive observational role and does not make their presence known to the participants. The spy immerses themselves in the discussion but does not reveal the fact that they are doing research (Björk & Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2012:68).

During this study, the researcher took a passive and covert approach to observe the data (lurker). This was due to the fact that the topics were observed in retrospect and not at the height of the discussion when the topics were trending on Twitter or when the topics were extensively covered by the media. The data (conversations) is thus archived information and open to the public.

3.5.2. Data Collection

Step three of the netnographic approach involved the data collection where the researcher collated data from the online conversations on the selected forum and created their own data based on observations of the conversations on the chosen forum (Kozinets, 2002:63).

Data was collected from the selected Tweets by @helenzille and @PatriciaDeLille by the researcher’s own browsing through the data, using Twitter’s “Like” function to save it to the researchers Twitter profile and through web-based tools such as application extensions within the Chrome browser to do screenshots (both collection methods supported by Kozinets, 2014:267). Data was collected once-off on 13 September 2018 as all the conversations were considered archival data at this stage.

Data was presented anonymously in the final research and no online or individual names of Twitter users participating in the conversations were made public. The combined opinions of the total homogenous group of participants were considered.

During the netnographic research phase, content relating to the political scandals previously identified was collected. This content was found online and is referred to as “archival data” (Kozinets, 2014:266) and refers to all data that the researcher is collecting from the web during the netnographic data collection process. The benefit of this is that archival data offers an unadulterated cultural baseline of the community and the discourse relating to the topic of discussion (Kozinets, 2014:266-267).

The researcher collected and analysed six salient Twitter conversations. The number of replies to the conversations was 2702 in total (prior to data exclusion). For the purpose of this research, a Twitter conversation was defined as a chain of public feedback that stems from one prominent Tweet that invited a host of replies. These replies were either a chain of responses taking place amongst various Twitter users in reaction to each other, or single comments directed to the original Tweet. This idea is supported by Zappavinga (2011:790) who explains that in contrast to other forms of communication, there is no communal expectation that another user will respond to your comment. Homogeneously, these single comments are considered in light of the bigger discussion, thus forming part of a salient conversation around the topic. The research looked at the six individual Tweets previously identified and analysed the replies directly relating to that particular Tweet from @helenzille and @PatriciaDeLille as identified in Chapter 1. To include an extensive amount of @ mentions, retweeted conversation streams and hashtags would be to invite a large amount of content that would be better suited for a quantitative study. For that reason, the research focused on quality conversations relating to each scandal.

Out of the 2702 responses, the data analysed excluded Tweets that consisted only of emojis (a small digital image that portrays the user’s emotion such as shock or happiness), images, GIFs (a short, animated clip), links to external articles or Tweets written in a language the researcher did not understand. The researcher included Tweets in Afrikaans, English and those with only a few vernacular phrases relating to the other 10 official languages of South Africa that the researcher understood. The researcher excluded some comments which were unclear in terms of whether they were sarcastic or genuine. This was in an attempt to reduce researcher bias causing the statement to be incorrectly coded and skewing the data analysis. The data reduction process excluded Tweets that had several spelling or grammatical errors that rendered the meaning unclear. Any conversations that went off topic and discussed, for example, the EFF or ANC and issues relating to these parties, were disregarded. Tweets that referred to other political figures within the DA, without a direct correlation to the topic at hand were also excluded. Relating to Tweet 4a, there was a spelling error in De Lille’s statement where she incorrectly referred to a leaked report using a future date in 2018 instead of the correct date which took place in 2017. This invited a host of responses that were dismissed as it was a mistake and does not relate to the topic this research seeks to examine. The final dataset consisted of 867 comments forming the various responses to the conversations.

3.5.3. Data Interpretation

Step four of netnography is the interpretation of data. Netnography’s ultimate unit of analysis is not the person, but the behaviour of that person (in the case of this research, the conversations posted in reaction to the selected Tweets). During netnography, there is an observation and re-contextualisation of conversations (Kozinets, 2002:64). Kozinets (2014:269) is adamant that netnographic data analysis is a process where the researcher needs to make use of an “old-fashioned” hands-on approach to the data.

During the analysis and interpretation, coding can happen on paper, on screen or with the help of computer software using a hermeneutic approach to look for contextual meaning (Kozinets, 2015:205,207,220). A hermeneutical analysis is interpretivist in nature and allows the researcher to consider the interplay between details within a broader context (Bezuidenhout, Davis & Du Plooy-Cilliers, 2014:231).

A thematic content analysis was employed through open and axial coding practices in order to relate the findings of the data to the original research questions and the key constructs identified. Kozinets (2014:270) supports the open coding approach for the purpose of netnographic research in order to reach a theoretically relevant understanding of the researched topic. During open-coding all the content in the dataset is considered in-depth and the researcher identifies unique codes and themes that illustrate the meaning of the research topic by comparing different sections of the text with each other (Bezuidenhout et al., 2014:234,241). Once several salient codes have been established from the content they are thematically categorised and linked back to the literature and theoretical framework during the process of axial coding. A structural relationship is established between the various codes by means of grouping the themes together (Woodall, 2016; Braun & Clarke 2012; Bezuidenhout et al., 2014).

The researcher employed an inductive approach to qualitative open coding and theme development. An inductive approach is effective when looking at previously researched phenomena (such as online discourse, political scandals and reputation) from a different perspective (Gabriel, 2013). Codes emerged from this approach by relying on an in vivo analysis that stemmed from the discourse being studied (Bezuidenhout et al., 2014:238; Braun & Clarke, 2012:58). This was helpful to the researcher and helped to make the study richer and challenged the researcher’s preconceived notions. Similar codes found within the

41 data were grouped thematically in accordance with the study. Findings were interpreted within the context of the specific study.

3.5.4. Ethical Considerations

Ethical concerns around observations of conversations in an online space is an important matter to consider during netnography and constitutes step five. An ethically appropriate procedure has not emerged and the practice does depend on the type of research being conducted (Kozinets, 2002:64).

During passive observation of the netnographic research, content published was protected to ensure the privacy of the content creator by omitting their name, username and any other profile details. Data was presented anonymously in the final research and no individual names of Twitter users partaking in the conversations were made public. In research conducted around the topic of consent and potential risk to participants within social media research, Hibben, Samuel and Derrick (2018) state that when it comes to analysing large amounts of Tweets it is not always feasible. Their research found that the use of social media data without consent was perceived as ethically unproblematic, especially in public forums, so long as users remained unidentified.

The chosen research design, netnography, was unobtrusive and non-influencing by nature and comprised of the monitoring of the communication and interaction of community members to gain practical insights based on their conversations (Costello et al., 2017:3). There was thus no ethical risk relating to the researcher harming the users on the Twitter platform through the researcher’s observation of these conversations in the public space. The data collected through these observations was aggregated and not disaggregated based on the individuals.

Although the nature of the research was observational and could be considered covert, one has to take into consideration the public nature of Twitter as a social network site. The Tweets of any user whose profile is public and not set to private (a setting which allows the user’s Tweets and profile details to be hidden from public view barring those users that the has been accepted into the user’s network), is subjected to Twitter’s Terms of Service (2018a) which state under section 3, “Content on the Services”:

“By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy,

42 reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed). This license authorizes us to make your Content available to the rest of the world and to let others do the same”.

In Twitter’s general Privacy Policy (2018b) it further states:

“Twitter is public and Tweets are immediately viewable and searchable by anyone around the world. We give you non-public ways to communicate on Twitter too, through protected Tweets and Direct Messages. You can also use Twitter under a pseudonym if you prefer not to use your name”.

Finally, under section 1.2 of Twitter’s Privacy Policy (2018b), “Public Information” the company states:

“Most activity on Twitter is public, including your profile information, your time zone and language, when you created your account, and your Tweets and certain information about your Tweets like the date, time, and application and version of Twitter you Tweeted from...In addition to providing your public information to the world directly on Twitter, we also use technology like application programming interfaces (APIs) and embeds to make that information available to websites, apps, and others for their use - for example, displaying Tweets on a news website or analyzing what people say on Twitter”.

It is clear that Twitter users’ content is thus public property and those who wish to keep this information from the public sphere or public use pertaining to Twitter’s various affiliations, may do so by protecting themselves through Twitter’s privacy settings. The researcher would, therefore, like to argue that although the nature of the research was observational and covert, the researcher did not cause harm to any Twitter users.

Furthermore, the researcher and the research showed accountability to the institution (The University of Johannesburg) and the field of scientific study by remaining obliged to the free and open dissemination of research results (Babbie & Mouton, 2009:527). In line with the University of Johannesburg’s Code of Academic and Research Ethics (2007), the researcher kept with the Code of Conduct with particular reference to aspects of the code founded on the South African constitutional and human rights values. The researcher also acknowledged the Code’s appeal to present accurate information and to give credit to all contributors where applicable.

3.5.5. Research Representation

Finally, step six of netnography usually constitutes research representation. During the final step a “member check” is encouraged. The practice is that the final research report findings are presented to selected members of the audience that were studied in order to solicit their comments (Kozinets, 2002:65). This final step was not applicable to this research as the researcher did not consider the comments individually, but rather as a homogenous mass.

3.6. Trustworthiness

Data quality rigour and trustworthiness were ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability (Bezuidenhout et al., 2014:258). The Twitter conversations that were chosen were each selected with consideration of the author of the original Tweet. This was to ensure that each Tweet carries the necessary credibility relating to the topic. The researcher was also immersed in the online content and the saved offline content (screenshots) for a prolonged period to better understand the context and culture of the various Twitter users partaking in the selected conversations. An iterative re-reading of the content took place.

Transferability was aided through thick description (aided by the coding and content analyses) in order for the findings to be transferable to other studies (Anney, 2014:277). Using purposive sampling also aided transferability as it encouraged an in-depth understanding of the topic (Anney, 2014:278).

The code-recode strategy was employed during the data analysis to ensure the dependability of the data findings. In this step, the researcher allowed a gestation period between each coding to find multiple observations of the same text (Anney, 2014:278). This is also an important part of netnographic research that allows the researcher to see the data unfold and pensively consider it (Kozinets, 2014:270). The researcher started the data collection process by reading through the content of all the various Tweets. After that Tweets were saved and after a period of time, a second reading took place. During the third reading of the data, themes emerged. The researcher ordered the various Tweets amongst the various themes. The re-coding of the themes saw the researcher discarding certain themes and identifying new themes instead. After some time, the researcher looked at the themed content and reconsidered certain Tweets and re-coding the content thematically. This re- reading and re-coding of content happened three times. From the time of the first reading to

44 the final dataset being established, approximately two months have passed giving the researcher enough time to consider the content.

Confirmability was established by the researcher’s literature study to discover content within similar contexts to confirm the research findings.

3.7. Summary

This chapter detailed the research methodology, research design, population and sampling, data collection and analysis, ethical considerations and discussed how trustworthiness was established during this study in an attempt to achieve the research aim and answer the research questions.

A qualitative netnographic study was employed and considered selected responses in relation to six salient conversations on Twitter relating to two political scandals experienced by the DA. The netnographic approach with regards to data collection, analysis and other considerations, as designed by Kozinets, were discussed in detail. The next chapter will discuss the findings and interpretations of the study.

Findings and Interpretations

4.1. Introduction

This chapter presents the findings of the study. Through manual open coding, the dataset (Appendices 3 – 6) was considered by identifying themes and sub-themes8. The identified themes were considered against the key theoretical assumptions to answer the research questions set in Chapter 1 through axial coding. The findings were interpreted using the literature study and the researcher’s insight. In this chapter, findings are presented using illustrations of how the Tweets were categorised under different sub-themes, finally reducing the sub-themes to themes (see Figures 4 to 7). The following Tweets were considered:

Helen Zille's Tweets • Tweet 1: “For those claiming legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative, think of our independent judiciary, transport infrastructure, piped water etc.” (@helenzille, 2017, March 15). • Tweet 2: “I agree, there was absolutely nothing positive about slavery or the slave trade. If you read the transformed SA history textbook (issued in democratic SA) you will see the acknowledgement that, despite its many evils, colonialism helped end slavery in parts of Africa” (@helenzille, 2017, April 21). • Tweet 3: “The High Court has interdicted the implementation of ‘remedial action’ of the Public Protector’s Report on my tweet that the legacy of colonialism was not ONLY negative. This means the review application has to be decided before any further action can happen.” (@helenzille, 2018, July 17). Patricia De Lille's Tweets • Tweet 4a and 4b: “My statement on an application my legal team launched which was meant to be heard in the High Court today regarding the Steenhuisen report which makes findings against me on various untested allegations” (@Patricia De Lille, 2018, May 3a) and “Continuation of my statement” (@Patricia De Lille, 2018, May 3b) • Tweet 5: "My statement on today’s announcement by @Our_DA leader @MmusiMaimane” (@PatriciaDeLille, 2018, August 5a) • Tweet 6: “I want to assure South Africans that I did not make a deal with the DA. I took the personal decision to resign because I could no longer take the consistent abuse. It was very [sic] difficult decision and I trust that everyone will understand” (@PatriciaDeLille, 2018, August 5b)

Figure 3: Summary of the original Tweets that invited the responses that constitute the dataset

8 Sub-themes are only identified within certain themes and in relation to certain Tweets

4.2. Theme 1: Political Party Bashing and Politician Distrust

Under this theme, responses to the Tweets by the politicians displayed distrust of the party and its politicians. Figure 4 shows the relationship between the relevant research question, the emergent theme and its related sub-themes. Operational definitions of each sub-theme are provided as well as examples of Tweets from the data set to show their relevance.

Research Questions

How does the public online discourse on Twitter amongst What is the conversational valence of online discourse on stakeholders influence the reputation of the DA during times Twitter about political scandals of the DA amongst of the political scandals under investigation? stakeholders?

Theme 1

Political Party Bashing and Politician Distrust

Sub-themes

Party reputation Politician reputation 2019 elections

Operational Definitions

Tweets that negatively impact the DA's Tweets that indicate a negative Tweets that state that the DA will lose reputation because of the Tweets perception towards the politician's votes at the poll due to the reputational posted by Zille and De Lille reputation damage caused by the Tweets.

Examples from dataset Mandela was absolutely correct when Mayor de Lille, you are guilty of so You just moved a portion of votes to he said; Democratic Alliance was a much more, you really need to do this EFF and ANC come 2019...you can't party of "white bosses and black province a favour and gracefully step say things like this!! (response to Tweet stooges" (response to Tweet 1) down. (response to Tweet 3) 1)

Figure 4: Development of theme 1 in relation to research questions and dataset

4.2.1. Party Reputation

Figure 5 provides excerpts from the dataset (see Appendix 3). A total of 71 Tweets were reviewed for this sub-theme. Tweet 3 is not applicable as there were no responses that the researcher found relevant during the coding process.

•This is the real DA, thanks gogo for showing us your true colours. Tweet 1 •You are such a true reflection of the DA.

•Lo mama is hurting the DA! •MmusiMaimane @Makashule @HermanMashaba @Our_DA black members, Tweet 2 u know that feeling when you in conversation with white people and they tap u on ur back, pats their hand on ur head and talks 'pass' you. U know something is wrong but not quiet sure. It's called quiet Racism.

Tweet 3 •n/a

•@helenzille and @Our_DA fought very hard to get the spy tapes released. Tweets 4a MmusiMaimane is always saying DA is a transparent and accountable party now on the contrary they do this. Sies dyou hypocrites. Two faced and b •DA still operates like apartheid thugs where they think they can fumble things clandestinely and push out the mayor. She knows her rights.

•If the DA had credible leadership this settlement was going to be reached long ago Tweet 5 •If you read this situation correctly you will see that the DA's strategy is to occupy all key positions with people who will protect the white interest.

•When the issue was still hot, spokesperson, Mazzoni and real DA leader John Selfe were the ones dealing with statements and all..Now thy send The Tweet 6 garden boy to go announce the decision to the masses... Where was the DA leader when this was still hot? •Mina I'm just glad that I saw the real DA what they are doing to our people

Figure 5: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Party Reputation”

4.2.2. Politician Reputation

Figure 6 provides excerpts from the dataset (see Appendix 3). A total of 175 Tweets were reviewed for this sub-theme.

•zille supports apartheid and colonialism im not suprised. Tweet 1 •wow I can't believe you justified Colonialism with clean piped water etc. Some things best kept to yourself

•There is absolutely nothing wrong with, except that she is unrepentant racist, colonialism lover &apartheid denialist! She must be arrested! She has gone unpunished for far too long!SAHRC,what will it take 4you to act against Tweet 2 @HelenZille and her ilk?! @SAHRCommission Intervene! •Were you ever in a protest where you got trapped by the police? Where were you waging your war against apartheid please tell us.

•Pls do not mislead the public ma'am. An interdict is like a suspension of the original punishment. It DOES NOT have anything to do with your punishment itself. It's just another delayed tactics on your part as usual. You learnt so much from Msholozi Tweet 3 •Does it surprise me that you value certain aspects of colonialism? No! I fully understand where you come from as a white woman. Your sentiments and pride you hold on the achievements of colonialism should be rejected by all self respecting human beings.

•If you want to see the SMS, check your phone. You sound like Zuma demanding to know who said what in the State Of Capture report. Tweets 4a •Don't be fooled by the tweets of support, Patricia. Your lawyer would have and b mobilised the considerable EFF paid twitter network to post tweets in support. Your caucus voted you out. We read the charge sheet against you. Most people are just... jawn... just go

•Yaah she was busy wearing boxing gloves preparing for a fight, won some few rounds and now she raises her hand to say she cannot fight, who does that? Tweet 5 •You sold out yet again. •I hate to break this to you, your name was not cleared. Now since you agreed to some backroom deal to avoid disciplinary, we can safely conclude that you are as guilty as charged

•Great she RESIGNED! Now #DA can knock the socks off the #PatriciaDeLille Saga & MOVE ON. Metro of #CapeTown should now embark on championing capable governance & excellent service delivery. #DeLille fiasco has been a Tweet 6 #DA focal point while Cape Town is being run into the ground. •Could not take the abuse but choose to be an active member of the same party that abused you? How does that work?

Figure 6: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Politician’s Reputation”

4.2.3. 2019 Elections

Figure 7 provides excerpts from the dataset (see Appendix 3). A total of 19 Tweets were reviewed for this sub-theme. Tweet 5 is not applicable as there were no responses that the researcher found relevant during the coding process.

•goodbye 2019 Tweet 1 •U couldn't have waited after national elections to show us ur true colors. At least we know what to expect from u

•This magogo is at again?... At this rate, DA must just forget about 2019 elections. Maybe this is plan for magogo to indirectly get rid of moruti @MmusiMaimane. But then again Moruti le bo Van Damme don't have a backbone. Tweet 2 •#whatmussithink about jajarag hellen i wonder every 1black vote that mussi,mashaba,solly & co' pullz for D A gogo hellen scares & Loose 5black votes I dont blame any black Sans who thinks gogo hellen is aparthied 2.0(2019)

•You, @Our_DA and that uncle tom @MmusiMaimane are gonna pay dearly for that tweet, your fake apology and defense of that tweet at the polls next year Tweet 3 •Good for you. However the SA people see @Our_DA as protecting u as a racist and kicking champion of the poor @PatriciaDeLille out of the party. You will be judged at the polls #ipsos

•If @Our_DA want my vote then it is entirely on them to prove to me they subscribe to a fair and transparent process. The accusations against u put a Tweets 4a spotlight on them whether their internal processes are fair or not. Can I trust and b them with my vote? No •Come 2019, all De Lille credibility is going to waste. People will express their anger by not voting. They loved De Lille

Tweet 5 •n/a

•Why should we vote to keep @Our_DA in power when they can abuse people like this? Is this how they will treat members of the public? If the mayor had to Tweet 6 leave due to abuse, then what chance does the ordinary citizen have when they are in power? @MmusiMaimane

Figure 7: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “2019 elections”

4.3. Theme 2: Politician Trust, Support and Encouragement

This theme relates to support of the politicians amidst the negative conversations identified in Theme 1. Figure 8 shows the relationship between the relevant research question, the emergent theme and its related sub-themes. Operational definitions of each sub-theme are provided as well as examples of Tweets from the data set to show their relevance.

This theme correlates with the same research objectives and theoretical assumptions as the first theme. However, the content that is positively valenced and in stark contrast to the first theme. The researcher separated the two themes as they show two different sides of the proverbial coin when it comes to matters of reputation and conversational valence.

Research Questions

Theme 2

Political Trust, Support and Encouragement

Sub-themes

Trust, support and encouragement Rallying and respect De Lille's political future

Operational Definitions

Positive responses in relation to Zille's Support is shown to De Lille by citizens The interest shown in her political future three Tweets rallying around her and showering her indicates that Twitter users have a deep with admiration respect for her political clout.

Examples from dataset That's not a popular view but very true; Form another party @PatriciaDeLille Love your strength and willpower, aunty SA would have a very different You are so experienced, honest and Pat. I salute you for teaching us to pull landscape today without infrastructure compassionate. I will gladly vote for you through during difficult times! Best without engineering (response to Tweet as DA treatment has been wishes! (response to Tweet 5) 1) embarrassing. (response to Tweet 6)

Figure 8: Development of theme 2 in relation to research questions and dataset

4.3.1. Trust, Support and Encouragement

Figure 9 provides excerpts from the dataset (see Appendix 4). A total of 23 Tweets were reviewed for this sub-theme. Responses to Zille’s Tweets relate only to the main theme and no sub-themes were identified.

•what makes you think that they are capable of separating emotion from logic.... •You're talking about the broader picture. Something those with a political Tweet 1 agenda don't want to acknowledge. ANC, EFF, PAC, NDM •helenzille Ask them to give those things up. It will reduce the tax burden on the rest of us

•Would one be agreeing because it's politically expendient to do so. The correct narrative may be that nothing good for the slaves came out of slavery. An entire Tweet 2 modern world economy in which all participate and from which all enjoy benefits is a result of the slave trade

•Ive always been looking for the words to discribe the helen hating tweets..now ive found it tanx to [user name].selective criticism..helen's white so we only see Tweet 3 her as wrong..we decide wu is wrong..meaning if a black person does wrong..it doesnt mata..selective critism •Hurray for reason! Like others she completely misunderstood what you said!

Figure 9: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Trust, Support and Encouragement”

4.3.2. Rallying and Respect

Figure 10 provides excerpts from the dataset (see Appendix 4). A total of 90 Tweets were reviewed for this sub-theme.

Tweets 4a •You are the embodiment of Mam'Winnie! I've got ton respect for you. Soldier on! •The people’s Mayor fight back and 4b •Stand up for urself auntie...... it's time to fight back...... fire with fire

•Thank YOU for being an incredible human being and serving us for the majority of your life! I wish I could come to you personally and give you the biggest hug. You are an incredible example of leadership, transparency and service! Tweet 5 •History will exonerate you woman warrior. Our fight is for land and not the high positions we were sold in 1994. This party publicly shamed you. You exposed a lot about it and for that I thank you.

•I am saddened that you have resigned as Mayor. I have the greatest respect for you and your work ethic as well as you personal ethics. If must have been a very difficult decision and I wish you well in whatever your future holds. Tweet 6 •You fought valiantly within in the lines of the law, you exposed a soft underbelly of who the true leaders are within the DA. You are still a revolutionary and many people will follow if one day you start your own party again because then we can be sure about our vote! Amandla!

Figure 10: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Rallying and Respect”

4.3.3. De Lille’s Political Future

Figure 11 provides excerpts from the dataset (see Appendix 4). A total of 50 Tweets were reviewed for this sub-theme.

•ANC needs you , you will be better placed and contribute to all South Africans Tweets 4a with no fear or favor! •Where were you going in the first place? U left PAC and cross thed floor to form and 4b you ID. Later in the persuit for power without earning it, you joined DA. Now there are giving you your own taste. Come back home, PAC sesi.

•Would love to have u in the EFF aunty. Anyway considering ur PAC background it was in inevitable that u would not suit in the DA. DA represent everything that Tweet 5 PAC stood against. A red beret would suit u nicely. •I see the EFFiciency in U

•Watch this space... Aunty Pat is not done. If she stays in the DA, maybe a premier post or another snr position in the party. If Ramaphosa lures her to the Anc that could be a huge coup for him. Eff is possible too, considering she was Tweet 6 once a snr leader in the PAC. •For retirement package ANC will suit her better, but if she still want to be active, EFF is the way to go...

Figure 11: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “De Lille’s Political Future”

4.4. Theme 3: Empowered Citizen Participation

Figure 12 shows the relationship between the relevant research question, the emergent theme and its related sub-themes. Operational definitions of each sub-theme are provided as well as examples of Tweets from the data set to show their relevance. This theme relates to the fact that citizens have a direct line of communication to politicians by means of social network sites such as Twitter which is used to express their opinion.

Research Questions

How does Twitter enable citizen participation through political How does online discourse relating to political scandals discourse in the public sphere around the scandals between citizens and select politicians of the DA, enable experienced by the DA? agenda-building from Twitter to traditional media?

Theme 3

Empowered Citizen Participation

Sub-themes

Colonial Legacy Addressed African Identity Affirmed

Operational Definitions

Empowered citizens retort against Zille’s statement and re- Users discuss African ability in an attempt to negate Zille’s contextualise the colonial narrative seeming support of colonialism.

Examples from dataset cuz Black folks could never have figured out water in houses #helenzille we may never know how far Africans would have without white colonizers or anything else,right? (response to advanced had it not been for the bloodsucking #colonizer Tweet 1) (response to Tweet 1)

Figure 12: Development of theme 3 in relation to research questions and dataset

4.4.1. Colonial Legacy Addressed

Figure 13 provides excerpts from the dataset (see Appendix 5). A total of 151 Tweets were reviewed for this sub-theme. The De Lille Tweets hold no relation to these sub-themes.

•thats f**ked up helen. whats good infrastructure gon do for me when im oppressed. •yes the acclaimed judiciary sent many innocent people to the gallows. Our Tweet 1 family members included •Mama,the piping etc was not for the oppressed people.It was for the colonizers as they settled. which is why the electricity/water infrastructure to Gugs is a mess to sort out.It was not catered for in the planning.

•Were your movements restricted because of your skin colour? Were there places you were denied entry based on race? Was your family harrassed by the apartheid government? •And the privilege that you enjoy as a white SA? Surely you are clever enough to know that it was deliberately constructed and conferred upon a single race. Now Tweet 2 just by being white in a society of mixed races, you inherit such a system which dictated even your education •Actually colonialism gave birth to apartheid. Colonialism is the main reason black families were broken. It's the reason black people lost the land they had. It's the reason black people lost their wealth!

•Colonialism was ONLY negative. Death Vs development? Have you been to the slave lodge Helen? Stop running away and writing stupid articles claiming bots Tweet 3 are disagreeing with you. There are many actual people who don't like you, deal with it. •Unfortunately your victory does not bring back our land

Figure 13: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “Colonial Legacy Addressed”

4.4.2. African Identity Affirmed

The Figure 14 provides excerpts from the dataset (see Appendix 5). A total of 21 Tweets were reviewed for this sub-theme and as it relates to Tweet 1. The De Lille Tweets hold no relation to these sub-themes.

•No. Necessity is the mother of invention. When those things became necessary. Africans would have conceptualized and built. don't conflate the importance of independent judiciaries. Those are essential for social systems based on Western democracy. who's to say that democracy and independent judiciaries are necessarily better than African social systems that were erased? Apparently countries that weren't colonized would never be able to advance? What Tweet 1 happened to free trade? why aren't you telling European countries that they would never have education and universities & modern medicine if they hadn't stolen these things, and written history in a way that purports them to be European inventions? Stop. Just stop it. •we don't care about those things, we care about our history and our traditions that colonialism disturbed, we care about land!

Tweet 2 •n/a

Tweet 3 •n/a

Figure 14: Excerpts relating to sub-theme “African Identify Affirmed”

4.5. Theme 4: A Discourse of Difference

Figure 15 shows the relationship between the research question and the emergent theme. Examples of Tweets from the data set are indicated to show their relevance. Although the conversations this theme seeks to discuss, could have been individually themed into Themes 1, 2 and 3, the nature of the conversations are all in response to each other and can be described as a dialogue between online strangers. These conversations as extensions of the short statements Twitter has become known for in order to paint a richer picture of the discourse that ensued in reaction to the Tweets being analysed.

Research Questions

What is the conversational valence of online discourse on Twitter about political scandals of the DA amongst stakeholders?

Theme 4

A Discourse of Difference

Operational Definition

Conversations as extensions of the short, singular statements Twitter has become known for in order to paint a richer picture of the discourse that ensued in reaction to the Tweets being analysed.

Example from dataset

Also introduced formal education and modern technology /// I always hate this statement that white people introduced us to education as if we were poor or unhappy without it,we were just fine without you coming and forcing your ways so we would have succeeded without you coming into our continent,we didn’t need you /// We needed formal education.yes the manner in which it was introduced to us was inhumane but that doesn't change the fact that we needed it. I am black by the way. (in response to Tweet 2)

Figure 15: Development of theme 4 in relation to research questions and dataset

4.5.1. A Discourse of Difference

Figure 16 provides excerpts from the dataset (see Appendix 6). A total of 267 Tweets were reviewed for this sub-theme compiling a total of 40 Twitter conversations.

•User 1: Few years from now: "The killing of white farmers will be one of the benefits of black people getting their land back" right? •User 2: Yeh, on the down side youl be hungry...... hmmmm •User 1: Excuse you!?! Hungry where? The only reason we'd be hungry is because you took our main source of food! LAND!!! Besides that,you think we give a damn about food? Did white people bring food to Africa? Did white people Tweet 1 even invent food? And here you are,another one hiding behind white supremacy. Get off your high horse. We never needed you!!! Guys, @[user name] seems to think that if white people left with their water pipes(development),blacks would go hungry! #DearHelenZille You know what @[user name], how about you all leave & we'll see if we go hungry. How about that? #DearHelenZille •User 2: Hey, who will make the food (pap) then? •User 1: The same people who did before. You're a waste of time. Bye.

•User 1: The monster Helen is back justifying the unjustifiable. Helen Stop it everything about Apartheid & Colonialism was wrong. You live on stolen land today yet you are still arrogantly defending evil in 2018. Helen say it out loud  everything was wrong about Colonialism or Apartheid •HZ: You are lying. I have never justified colonialism or apartheid. On the contrary, unlike you, I spent my whole adult life fighting apartheid and trying to establish democracy in SA. •User 1:Why fight a system that had a "positive" impact as you claim? •HZ: I have never stolen anything. My parents were refugees who came with Tweet 2 absolutely nothing. They did not steal anything either, and worked hard for change so that everyone could be free in South Africa. •User 1:Oa nnya msun’wako, your parents came here knowing very well how whites were given preferential treatment over natives who were nothing but glorified slaves dispossessed of their land and its resources. They were part and parcel of a system that oppressed us and participated in it •HZ: They did not have choices. They were trying to survive. And from the start they fought apartheid. Read my book before you make racist assumptions. •User 1:They didn't fight for equality. They fought so they could benefit more and you're doing the same thing. How are things at Khayelitsha?

•User 1: What wrong with you we are sick and tired of listening to you and your legacy of colonialism. yeses . give us a break please maan Tweet 3 •User 2: Block her my dear then you don't have to see it. SIMPLE •User 1: No i love Helen I just don't want to hear her keep talking about the legacy of colonialism that all.

•User 1: LET IT GO.. No matter how long a lie is sustained the truth will alway emerge!! Its time!! •User 2: PatriciaDeLille has been very clear, she cant leave with such a dark cloud hanging over her and a scourge of allergations that are untested forms basis for Tweets 4a her removal. Cowards only give to such bully tactics! and b •User 1: I dread going into the mud with pigs. I know shell STAND I am not convinced this is the right approach!! •User 2: Patricia is trying to show through a fair process, a Disciplinary Hearing that she's dealing with pigs. If that does not happen everyone else will believe that Patricia is the real pig on the basis of untested uncontested allegations!

•User 1: Withdrawn doesn't mean cleared, right? •User 2: It means there was never a case to begin with! Tweet 5 •User 1: How did you get there? She's been making k*k for months, now that she's seen the evidence she's suddenly compromising? Why?

•User 1: The question to answer or not to answer, deal or no deal, why don’t you do the public that you declare to serve so vermently and avidly, come clean and take us into you confidence. If you answer openheartedly and honestly we will know the real truth. “DID YOU SEND THE SMS”? Tweet 6 •User 2: The burden of proof lies with the one making the allegation! •User 1: It’s not an allegation, a sms was sent from Ms De lilles phone, the answer should be a simple YES or NO. This is not a court of law but a question from a citizen to Ms De Lille.

Figure 16: Excerpts relating to theme 4 - “A Discourse of Difference”

4.6. Interpretation of Data

4.6.1. Interpretation of Theme 1

Observations: Party reputation

In this sub-theme, the dataset shows an overall negative perception of the DA’s reputation. The dataset and various comments from Twitter users do not express any positive statements towards the DA. Twitter users are very outspoken against the DA, Zille and, to a certain extent, De Lille.

Zille’s Tweets 1 and 2, invited a host of negative responses. There is a widespread perception amongst users that the DA is a party for white people oppressing those of colour. Some do not understand how people of colour can vote for the DA or how they must feel when reading Zille’s Tweets. They describe Maimane and other black DA leaders as

“lackeys” who report to the “madam” (a colonial term used when black subordinates addressed their white, female boss). Some users seem incredulous towards the fact that the DA has black supporters.

Most users state that Zille reflects the DA, with some suggesting that Zille is the DA and for that reason, she is not being punished for her actions. An extension of this idea is that many users tagged Maimane using an @mention stating that he is just the face of the party and not the true leader. Some state he is in denial about Zille’s Tweets. Some users also mentioned other key politicians within the DA as being the person who dictates the party’s agenda.

Comments relating to De Lille’s Tweets attest to the fact that users distrust the DA and accuse the party of not being transparent. One user also states that the De Lille saga is hurting the credibility of the DA.

There is a perceived gap between what users feel Maimane professes regarding the DA being a transparent party and that which is taking place in relation to De Lille. They describe Maimane as a “braatjie for the cabal” (loosely translated the user may suggest that Maimane is a fair-weathered friend used by the alleged white faction within the DA). Some refer to the fact that most of the statements against De Lille were made by white party members. The charges against De Lille are associated with announcements from James Selfe and Natasha Mazzone (DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprise). Notably, Maimane was not involved in any of the statements against De Lille. However, the press briefing announcing her resignation from mayoral duties was done by Maimane and De Lille (Tweet 5) and is interpreted by some as the duties of “a poor black man…used to clean up mess caused by his handlers”. There is also a statement referring to this press briefing where a user describes Maimane as “the garden boy to go announce the decision to the masses” (“garden boy” is a derogatory reference to the term used for black men who tended gardens at the homes of white people).

The suggestions from users are that the DA is two-faced, do not believe their own findings, has something to hide and is digging a hole for themselves with the allegations raised against De Lille. The charges laid against De Lille are described as a witch hunt by “gutless bullies”. Users state that the DA hates De Lille, has an agenda against her, is treating her unfairly, makes her life difficult, is a “boys club” that pushes women out and used De Lille to get a particular demographic’s votes.

The party is discussed as one without credible leadership and who took advantage of De Lille. One user states that DA leaders have all been “disasters” in the past. Users draw comparisons between the DA and the ANC stating that both are corrupt. Users state that many people have “lost interest” in the DA due to the conflict between De Lille and the party. Statements such as “to hell with them” and “a bunch of looooosers” are used to describe the DA. Many opinions relate to the fact that the DA’s reputation will be damaged due to the way they are perceived to have treated De Lille during the allegations and that it indicates how they will treat South Africans if in power.

To a lesser extent, there are also mentions of white leaders like Zille and “stooges black males” fighting against a black woman. The idea of the DA being a party for “white racists” are echoed with one user of the opinion that the DA’s strategy is to occupy all key positions in the party with people who will protect “white interest”.

Observations: Politician Reputation

In this sub-theme, the reputation of the politician as a person is discussed which reflects on the personal brand, rather than the brand and reputation of the DA. In this section the comments are all negatively valenced.

The overall impressions towards Zille’s Tweets are negative with the vast majority of comments analysed showing deep disdain towards her opinions and her as an individual, describing the politician as an intellectual failure, a drunk, crazy, demented and idiotic. Whilst some users express shock and surprise at her Tweets, others are exasperated with her repeat statements regarding colonialism, calling her an endorser of Apartheid and colonialism, someone in support of oppression and enslavement and who values the achievements of colonialism.

Many users accuse her of being a white supremacist who believes that Westerners are more intellectual than Africans. Many believe Zille would reinstate Apartheid if she could due to her statements on Twitter. One user describes Zille as an “unrepentant colonialism apologist” and another states that the “colonizers strikes again”. Certain users call for Zille’s arrest and persecution by the South African Human Rights Commission. In Tweet 3 the overall feeling is still that she’s a racist and that no court could prove her intention – only she can.

Another discussion that often repeats itself, is in relation to Zille’s immigrant family. Users state that Zille sees colonialism as positive because she stems from the race who colonised South Africa. The relation is drawn to her ancestors being oppressors and that her family immigrated to South Africa9 because they knew white people were in rule during the time.

Many users call Zille’s self-described “Apartheid fighting” history into question. Zille was one of the journalists who uncovered the story around Steve Biko’s death whilst in police custody. She was also a member of the Black Sash. Users mockingly put it to Zille to advise where she served in prison for fighting the Apartheid government, if she was ever trapped in a protest by police, where she was when the Apartheid government hung black people or if she has ever thrown stones at Nyalas10.

Zille is admonished to think before she Tweets as her statements are reckless and painful to some. Users encourage her to acknowledge the pain some people experienced. There are direct references to her reputation with users stating that her credibility wanes with every Tweet. They state that she is tarnishing her own image and that it becomes increasingly difficult to defend her (referring to citizens defending her comments, beliefs and decisions amongst their personal network in favour of the DA) when she makes statements like the ones being discussed.

De Lille is also on the receiving end of negatively valenced opinions regarding her reputation. The overwhelming sentiment (in Tweets 5 and 6) is that people question how she believes her name was cleared. Many users believe that a backdoor deal was made between her and the DA with some suggesting that she agreed to resign as mayor in exchange for dropped charges or a financial settlement of sorts. The questions of “why resign if not guilty?” and “why stay if you can no longer stand the consistent abuse?” get asked many times.

Numerous users are upset that she said she would fight to clear her name, but is stepping down. Others ridicule her for taking off the proverbial boxing gloves and stepping out after a few “rounds” with the DA. It is described as a cowardly act and that De Lille “sold out” and

9 Zille’s family immigrated to South Africa to avoid persecution in Nazi Germany as her maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother were Jewish (Sowetan Live, 2014). 10 Armoured vehicle used during Apartheid rule when driving through informal settlements.

63 is not standing for the truth. There are suggestions that if she was not guilty, she would not step down and fight back.

Some users seem in support of the corruption charges telling her to refer to her phone for the alleged SMS that proves that De Lille acted in a corrupt manner. They accuse her of hampering city-related development with one user stating that Cape Town is being run into the ground and that the DA should take their focus off of De Lille in order to re-focus their efforts on the city. There are comments concerning her tenure as mayor and the way she managed the Cape Town drought. The general feeling is that people are angry about her imposed services hikes such as “drought tax”.

Several statements against De Lille attest to a serious distrust in her reputation with comments such as “she is guilty of much more than the charges the DA laid against her” and we are tired of your shenanigans”, “drama queen”, “good riddance”, “you’ve actually been self serving and wasted our time” and “you are a disappointment”. One of the most poignant statements regarding her reputation reads: “You destroyed your credibility. The assumption is made that the charges were real.”

Observations: 2019 Elections

Zille’s statements invite several comments around the elections. Users are especially focussed on the fact that black people will vote for the EFF or the ANC. Zille is seen as the reason the DA can say “goodbye 2019”. In Tweet 3 a user mentions that Maimane will pay at the polls next year for Zille’s “fake apology” and defence of the colonial Tweet (Tweet 1). One user refers to an Ipsos report released in July 2018 showing that the DA’s reputation is waning in light of the 2019 elections.

In relation to Tweets 4a and 4b users suggest that the DA will lose votes because of the allegations against De Lille and that people will express their anger about the situation by not voting because they “loved De Lille”. Users do not see the DA as a party that can be trusted with a vote.

In conclusion: Theme 1 - Political Party Bashing and Politician Distrust

From the Tweets considered, the DA has a history of mergers with other liberal parties, but is nevertheless seen as a party for white people, reminiscent of Apartheid rule. The ANC (the ruling party and main opposition to the DA) is seen as the liberating party as, under its leading, the country-specific reputation was turned around from an oppressive regime to a

64 democratic society. From the data, Twitter users’ comments indicate a general negative association to the DA and Zille and to a lesser degree also De Lille. This is because the party and personal brands are affiliated with each other. The data collected supports the dynamics that exist between the reputation of the political party and that of its politicians and how the one brand within another (politician’s brand within the overarching party brand) impacts on one another.

Zille’s leader-specific reputation is brought into question and is shaped by the discussions. One user describe Zille as “a true white person” suggesting that the user feels anger towards past actions especially in relation to white minority rule during Apartheid. De Lille is accused of not managing Cape Town well during her tenure especially in light of the drought. Benoit (2015:304) discusses this relationship, stating that a damaged reputation can hurt the political organisation or politician’s persuasiveness because credibility and trustworthiness are important to convince stakeholders and credibility can be damaged due to actual or perceived wrongdoing.

The image of the politician and of the political organisation can be linked in causality – thus if there is a gap between reputation and reality (i.e. a gap between what is promised and what is done) (Eccles, Newquist & Schatz, 2007), the reputation of both the political organisation and the politician can come into disrepute by extension of the other. Davies and Mian (2010:334) postulate that the reputation of the party leader causes that of the party. Therefore, the reputation of Zille (as a former leader of the DA, and current Premier of the DA-led Western Cape) and De Lille (former mayor of the DA-led City of Cape Town) respectively, can have a bigger impact on the reputation of the DA than what the party can have on the two individuals.

The importance of the 2019 elections sub-theme, albeit brief, relates to the impact that the politician’s reputation may tentatively have on the party’s reputation. The suggestion is that people may choose to not vote for a party because of the actions of one individual albeit they are not the leader of the party. As per Davies and Mian (2010), there is a link between image and party reputation. If a vast majority of potential voters see the DA as a racist party, the image will be tarnished and this will mean a loss of votes. Apart from the fact that this can be deduced from most of the dataset there are also users who pointed to this fact in their Tweets.

4.6.2. Interpretation of Theme 2

Observations: Trust, Support and Encouragement

A handful of users agree with Zille in response to Tweet 1, stating that it is not a popular view, but true. Some comments seem negative towards users angry about the Tweet. A strong theme of “them” versus “us” suggests black versus white people in the context of the dataset. In relation to Tweet 3, some celebrate with her and encourage her with statements such as “sanity prevails”, “hurray for reason”, “vindication!” and “good news!”. Others express that the “hate” and “bias” that Zille received can be termed as “selective criticism” and that the whole saga has spiralled out of control due to the “Twitter lynch mob” who did not quote Zille accurately. Another feels she should use “freedom of expression” to argue the case of the colonial Tweet.

Observations: Rallying and Respect

In this sub-theme, many emotive words are used showing that many users have a deep admiration for De Lille.

Users rally around De Lille with encouraging comments. They tell her to take on the DA and “meet them punch for punch”, to “expose them”, to “continue to fight”, and to “give them hell”. The responses to Tweets 5 and 6 are positive, with users telling her she put up a brave fight, has willpower, exposed a lot of the DA and that her “guts and fighting spirit” is admirable. De Lille is described as a strong woman, “the embodiment of Mam’ Winnie”, “a woman of substance”, “woman warrior” and a true and principled leader. She is thanked for her service, putting the citizens of Cape Town first and for transforming the Western Cape to a place of beauty.

The titles used to address De Lille are varied in nature, but include terms of endearment and respect such as “Mama Pat”, “Tannie11”, “People’s Mayor”, “Mrs Mayor”, “Aunty Pat”, and “Honourable Mayor”. Some users tell De Lille that she is their hero and role model. Many recall her struggle history and state they know she will continue her good work.

11 The Afrikaans word for “Aunt”.

Observations: De Lille’s Political Future

There are many users who enquire about De Lille’s political future. The majority tell her to join the EFF. Others encourage her to join the ANC. Some suggest she stays with the DA and others encourage her to start her own political party. To a lesser extent, some users suggest she should restart the ID party or join the PAC.

In conclusion: Theme 2 – Politician Trust, Support and Encouragement

Although Zille’s Tweets gather some agreement and support, when analysed within the context of South Africa, the support seems to be for the wrong reasons. The “us” versus “them” comments attest to the fact that even though the users support Zille, it is because they seem to have a negative perception towards black people. The support in relation to Tweet 3 is also very sparse and the comments are not overtly positive and as passionately communicated as the negative comments discussed in Theme 1.

In comparison, the supportive words of encouragement aimed at De Lille attest to very passionate users – individuals who took time to express support and love for De Lille. De Lille’s political future is discussed in a positive light and indicates that people still want her to be politically active which suggests they see value in her political ability. The fact that many users invite her to join either the ANC or the EFF, shows that even though they are politically affiliated with another ideology, they would welcome De Lille who has been serving the DA’s ideology and agenda for the past four years. This attests to the fact that De Lille’s personal political brand holds credibility with many South Africans.

The positive tone and support of the politicians is done in direct relation to the politician’s brand and not to that of the party. It may be because Zille’s support is very sparse and that De Lille’s support comes as a direct response against the DA. However, the negative comments (as seen in Theme 1) are directed at both the politician and the party.

4.6.3. Interpretation of Theme 3

Observations: Colonial Legacy Addressed

The overwhelming sentiment, in response to Tweet 1, is that infrastructure hailing from colonial rule, was only meant for white people. One user reminds Zille of the “whites only” signboards found across South Africa limiting black people’s use of certain amenities. Many put it to Zille that infrastructure means nothing to an oppressed people. They state that black

67 people cannot be grateful for infrastructure brought about by a system of Apartheid. Many state how they only received piped water many years after the democratic South Africa was established.

The topical matter of land being stolen from the indigenous people during colonial rule appears many times over. Scathing comments are put to Zille such as “tell us Hellen [sic], we are your slaves”, “applying the same logic, murder is good, it results in less people on earth” and “even rape can produce a beautiful baby, what is your point”.

An extensive set of comments around the “benefits of slavery” are discussed cynically. Users want to know if Zille considers slavery “a friendly cultural exchange programme” or if she had attempt to neutralise the negative aspects of slavery with the excuse that “it gave people the opportunity to visit foreign countries”.

In relation to Tweet 2, this discussion escalates to race-related conflict where the concept of slavery is further discussed. Users agree that slavery and colonialism gave white people an unfair advantage in life in general – a concept some term white privilege and others white supremacy. Users challenge Zille about her understanding of slavery and colonialism questioning whether her movements have been restricted due to the colour of her skin.

Observations: African Identity Affirmed

Many of the comments in this sub-theme address the wrongs of the colonial legacy by re- affirming African identity.

Most notably, the concept of “necessity is the mother of all invention” is cited by users whereby they state that so-called civilisation was forced upon Africans. Some recall the proof of advanced civilisations and societies in South Africa before colonialism. Others discuss free trade and how many so-called Western “inventions” were concepts stolen from Africans such as irrigation, architecture, democracy etc.

There is also a focus on the resources that belonged to the indigenous people of South Africa (water, gold, land, etc.) where some users, through their comments, seem to reclaim these items. Many also state that black people were “just fine” before colonialism took place. One user cites that infrastructure is not as important as a people’s history, traditions and land.

In conclusion: Theme 3 – Empowered Citizen Participation

Twitter enables citizen participation as it has become a discursive space where individuals can discuss matters of interest. As Fabrega and Sajuria (2013) suggest collectives of groups form in a shared space such as Twitter. Within the South African context, the legacy of Apartheid lives on in the social psyche of citizens based on past experiences and collective discourse amongst various racial groups. This informs public opinion about political knowledge. Citizens are becoming co-creators of news through online public discourse on matters relating to important institutions such as political organisations - a privilege formerly reserved for a select few. The reputational damage that ensues is difficult to measure and cause-and-effect is difficult to establish. However, the public’s voice does influence media. As mentioned earlier, trending topics on Twitter are reported on traditional media channels such as radio. Many news sites use the conversations taking place on Twitter, comments between citizens and quotes by politicians as official statements to compile news articles suggesting that online discourse on Twitter can act as agenda setting conversations.

Figure 17: “History lessons from Zille and Sizwe Dhlomo’s colonialism twar” (Southall, 2018)

Figure 18: “DA Drops All Charges As De Lille Walks Away From Mayorship” (Dentlinger & Potgieter, 2018)

Figure 19: “Outrage over Helen Zille's colonialism tweets” (Al Jazeera, 2017)12

12 Private citizens’ identity have been blocked out in screenshots.

Some literature suggests that online discourse on Twitter may not affect change or that users share opinions without prior conviction or premeditated consideration for the conversation in which they are partaking. Whether a Twitter user has shared in the discourse due to opportunistic opportunity (as per Zappavinga, 2017) or because they hold a sincere conviction regarding the topic, through their published content a recognition of the topic takes place which agrees with Hassen’s (2015) “identify” function of discourse. This comes across strongly in the two sub-themes identified. The comments attest to a people who feel they have a voice and are capable of imparting change through their observations, comments and public discourse. The opportunity exists for the public to engage in direct conversation with the politician. In total, throughout the whole dataset and across all themes, Zille engages 12 times with the users, whilst De Lille engages once.

4.6.4. Interpretation of Theme 4

Observations: Conversations surrounding Zille’s Tweets

Discussions 1 – 27 of Appendix 6 refers. Many of the discussions touch on the subjects of colonialism, infrastructure and are testament to racial tension within South Africa. There are many arguments about whether colonialism and some implementations thereof (such as infrastructural improvements) was needed and whether colonialism was indeed all negative. A few users indicate that the seemingly positive attributes of colonialism also mean that black people had to bleed or die to make it happen and that it was an inhumane means to achieve progress. The bulk of the discussions are negatively valenced in that users argue about these matters and most times the arguments are centred around race – whites versus blacks. Discussions 5, 6, 7, 9 and 15 are all examples attesting to this.

Discussion 12, in relation to Tweet 2 is a salient conversation that includes Zille engaging with some comments. The main topic of discussion relates to Zille’s parents. Users suggest that they came to South Africa because of the Apartheid regime and stole land. There are many references to white privilege and that white people often state in post-apartheid South Africa, that “we worked hard for what we have” which many black users find infuriating. All of these topics flow together into a discussion where the overarching tone is negative and confrontational. In discussion 13 a white user states he/she wishes that there was a button to press to “permanently disassociate myself from certain white people”. Zille responds that it’s called “Block” (referring to a Twitter feature where you can block particular users from your account). The third response is from a black user directed at the white user encourages

72 the white user to “invade racists mentality” and “be disruptive”. This is an isolated case of seemingly positive racial interaction between two people of a different race in the dataset.

Observations: Conversations surrounding De Lille’s Tweets

Discussions 28 - 40 of Appendix 6 refers. The tone of the conversations ranges from positive to negative and neutral. There are many conversations around why the DA needs to provide official proof of evidence against De Lille (Discussion 28), her political feature (Discussion 29) and how the DA is treating De Lille (Discussion 30). The bulk of the conversations are centred on when and how De Lille “cleared her name” following that the DA withdrew charges against her and whether a disciplinary hearing was needed (Discussions 35, 36, 37 and 38). Within these discussions De Lille is supported by some and disliked by others and these two “camps” engaged with each other in conversation around whether De Lille is innocent of the charges and whether her name had, in fact, been cleared by the dropped charges. The conversational valence of these discussions is far less aggressive than in the dataset around Zille’s Tweets.

In conclusion: Theme 4 – A Discourse of Difference

Reading through an average Twitter conversation shows that there is a lot of conflict that takes place due to differences of opinions of Twitter users. The thin line between hate speech and freedom of expression is seemingly often violated.

The main interpretation of Zille’s colonial Tweet relates to the fact that a scandal can be a unifying factor. Heinonen (2018:154) theorises that peer support during online engagement (whereby users find a sense of belonging or social support), can be a positively valenced factor that includes emotional and behavioural characteristics. However, people’s anger (which is portrayed by negatively valenced conversational subject matter) unites many users in what can be termed as peer support. Zille’s Colonial Tweet invited engagement based on emotional and cognitive responses, fuelled by behavioural aspects of the negative valence of the rest of the discourse. Negative conversational valence for the DA, can be turned into positive conversational valence for the opposition, such as the ANC or the EFF, due to the reputational damage the negative conversations can impart in the collective conscience of those participating in the discourse.

As stated in Chapter 2, when there is an outcry against an individual, the crowd (in this case citizens reacting to a political scandal), feels a need to negate the perceived transgression

73 and to clear the community from what is perceived as ethically incorrect or corrupt (Girard, 2000:88; Thompson, 2000). This is especially noticeable in the topics that are being debated and argued in the dataset regarding the perceived advantages and disadvantages of colonialism subjectively observed by various individuals, racial tension in South Africa, De Lille being guilty or not, the DA’s leadership etc. In the case of De Lille the idea of what it means when “charges are withdrawn” and the implications thereof are discussed extensively because various individuals have various subjective ideas as to what they deem corrupt, negative, wrong or unsavoury (examples found in Discussion 33, 35 and 38). In the case of Zille’s Tweets the overwhelming opinion is that her comments were wrong and indicative of a political and racial outlook that is contradictory to democratic South Africa.

In general, there is more disagreement between users in relation to De Lille’s Tweets, whilst flaming and hateful remarks are prevalent amongst users in relation to Zille’s Tweets. As stated by Joyce and Kraut (2006:728) negative comments often invite more negative responses. This is typically how echo-chambers form as per Garimella et al., (2018).

There are many factors that contribute to negative conversational valence such as irritation, community intimacy (especially as it relates to perceived exclusion as opposed to actual exclusion relating to matters of race in South African society) and subjectivity (Heinonen, 2018:158). Even, to a lesser degree, the theme of Christianity being used to encourage slavery versus helping end slavery comes under the microscope in Discussion 21 and 23. Although it seems like a transgression from the main topic, it indicates the extent to which the negative conversations can fuel further negativity.

Although negative, these conversations are extensions of citizens’ democratic attitude towards their personal circumstances and situations affecting their country, it shows a nation willing to reflect and engage on these topics (Loader et al., 2014:148).

4.7. Summary

This chapter discussed the key findings from the data that was collected through a netnographic study of Tweets relating to two scandals experienced by DA members, Zille and De Lille. The main themes that emerged were “Political Party Bashing and Politician Distrust”, “Politician Trust, Support and Encouragement”, “Empowered Citizen Participation” and “A Discourse of Difference”. Within certain themes, and in relation to the conversations analysed, sub-themes also emerged to make the findings more palatable. Overall, the

74 comments towards Zille’s Tweets are very negative, whilst responses to De Lille seem to be divided. Both of the politician’s personal brands have an impact on that of the DA, which means that the DA needs to approach mitigation to reputational damage holistically. Citizens are empowered by the discursive opportunities Twitter affords them.

The next chapter will contain a summary of the study, discuss the findings and interpretations of the study based on the literature review and the interpreted dataset. The concluding chapter will also include a discussion on the limitations relating to this study and recommendations for future research.

Conclusion

5.1. Introduction

Through the findings and interpretation of data it became clear that Twitter has opened up the public sphere and online discourse has become an important part of forming the public’s opinion around political topics. It is clear that the scandals discussed, relating to Zille and De Lille’s Twitter activity, led to an increase in online discourse amongst various stakeholders. It is reasonable to state that as the dataset showed that the deeply dividing and predominantly negative discourse has caused reputational damage to the DA. These conversations sustained the scandal in the public consciousness which became clear as many Twitter users cited similar issues time and time again to illustrate their opinion of the DA or the two political figures under discussion.

Online discourse has become an important part of forming the public’s opinion around political topics and social network sites, such as Twitter, have opened up the public sphere to encourage dialogue on a wide array of topics. Certain political scandals can plague a political organisation, leading to active online discourse amongst its various stakeholders on public platforms such as Twitter. Online discourse can lead to reputational damage as these conversations sustain the scandal in the public consciousness.

5.2. Summary of Key Findings

In order to achieve the aim of the research, various research questions and their related research objectives were formulated The main research objective of this study was to examine how the public online discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders influence the reputation of the DA during times of the political scandals under investigation. Sub-research objectives were identified in order to ascertain whether the main research objective could be considered as legitimate and plausible.

5.2.1. Twitter: A Discursive Space

The first sub-research objective was to ascertain if Twitter enable citizen participation through political discourse in the public sphere around the scandals experienced by the DA. Twitter enables citizen participation as it has become a discursive space where individuals can discuss matters of interest. As Fabrega and Sajuria (2013) suggest, collectives of groups form in a shared space such as Twitter and this theory is supported by the dataset where the researcher observed robust and salient conversations in relation to the scandals under investigation.

5.2.2. Online to Offline: Agenda-building at Play

The second sub-research objective was to examine how online discourse relating to political scandals between citizens and select politicians of the DA, enable agenda-building from Twitter to traditional media. The dataset indicated that comments on Twitter relating to the scandals under investigation, attest to a people who feel they have a voice and can impart change through their comments. When in disagreement, the voices are fighting back – albeit virtually – with a person of power, which historically, was untouchable (i.e. the politician and the political organisation). The opportunity exists for the public to engage in direct conversation with the politician. The research found that the public’s voice also influences media. Trending topics on Twitter are reported on traditional media channels such as radio. Many news sites use the conversations taking place on Twitter, comments between citizens and quotes by politicians as official statements to compile news articles.

5.2.3. Engagement: As Long As They Keep Talking

The final sub-research question was to determine the conversational valence of online discourse on Twitter about political scandals of the DA amongst stakeholders. There was more disagreement between users in relation to De Lille’s Tweets, whilst flaming and hateful remarks were more prevalent amongst users in relation to Zille’s Tweets. People’s anger (which is portrayed by negatively valenced conversational subject matter) unites many users in what can be termed as “peer support”. As stated by Joyce and Kraut (2006:728) negative comments often invite more negative responses. The danger of this is that echo-chambers form as per Garimella et al., (2018). On the positive side, the engagement, although negative, attests to a nation interested in discussion of social political issues that affect them (Loader et al., 2014:148).

5.2.4. In Conclusion: Answering The Main Research Objective

These three sub-objectives made it clear that public online discourse amongst stakeholders on Twitter can negatively influence the reputation of the DA during times of the political scandals that were investigated. The research indicates that Isotalus and Almonkari (2014) are partially correct when they state that scandals are more closely associated with the politician than the party. However, it is very clear that the politician’s brand is closely associated and in constant interaction with the brand of the political organisation as stated by Davies and Mian (2010:333). The dataset attested to this in that users directly mentioned that these scandals were hurting the DA. The reputational damage to Zille’s personal brand as well as the DA in general is very clear and is supported by the statements as interpreted in the findings.

Interestingly enough it seems as if De Lille’s reputation was mostly untainted as the overwhelming amount of users blamed the DA for the scandal and absolved De Lille of alleged wrongdoing. The support De Lille received can be ascribed to Dominguez’s (n.d.) theory which states that stakeholders will support the political figures who they know, trust and who share their values, emotions, perceptions and worldviews. As many users stated, De Lille is seen as a freedom fighter who is being supressed by a “white” political party. Users associate with her based on the country-specific reputation of South Africa and based on the perceived ideas that they have about the DA. The opposite rings true for Zille and the DA – users do not seem to share the same values, emotions, perceptions and worldviews and for this reason, there is a lack of support which is publicly expressed. This public expression of disagreement negatively impacts the reputation of both Zille and the DA.

5.3. Limitations

The following limitations about the study are highlighted:

5.3.1. Stakeholders: A Study of Dialogue

For the purpose of the research, the focus was on stakeholder-engagement between the political organisation, the politicians and citizens (stakeholders). The study did not focus on defining and outlining the types of stakeholders in relation to the political organisation, but rather the dialogue that ensued between stakeholders and the political organisation due to the interactive nature of Twitter.

5.3.2. Discourse Redefined for Online Space

Twitter has a 250-character limitation. Can effective discourse take place within this limitation? The term “online discourse” can be considered as discourse that holds sway, despite the fact that the 250-character limitation of Twitter’s micro-blogging facilities is a deviation from what is traditionally considered to be a conversation. The study assumed that active online discourse amongst stakeholders served the purpose of highlighting issues about political organisations which ultimately set the agenda for broader engagement with them and influences public perceptions. In this case, the DA was examined because albeit short, the frequency of conversations on Twitter held some influence.

5.3.3. Gender and Race Studies: Subjective and Vague Online Content

Racially biased opinions littered the dataset of this research. The researcher chose to interpret these comments in light of party and politician reputation rather than seeking to engage in a study about ethnicity, the social landscape and history of South Africa as well as the socio-economic and political associations to “whiteness”. The opinions of the population were interpreted, based on the conversational valence, as a reflection on reputation instead.

With regards to gender matters, the researcher chose not to focus on this aspect as comments relating to women oppressed (especially in relation to De Lille) seemed off-topic.

Both these topics are highly subjective and a study, lacking interaction with the participants (as this research has), could offer results that are academically unsound. Too many assumptions would have been made by the researcher with regards to the population’s personal histories, attitudes and biases towards race and gender.

5.4. Recommendations for Future Research

5.4.1. Comparative research between South African Political Parties

The researcher suggests a qualitative netnography paired with anonymous, quantitative questionnaires for a comparative study between the three major parties within South Africa (ANC, DA and EFF). The study can compare discourse valence in relation to controversial Tweets to ascertain whether certain party members are more active or vocal on Twitter. The

79 netnography can relate to a controversial Tweet whilst the questionnaire can seek to gain first-hand information from Twitter users about why they react so vehemently on Twitter. Discourse analysis will suit the study well as discourse in the online space encourages power and resistance (Tsuria, 2018).

5.4.2. Political Studies: A Women’s Studies Perspective

Were Zille and De Lille treated with bias (by the DA and the public) due to their gender rather than for objective, political reasons? A study, incorporating standpoint theory as well as transnational feminist theory, can seek to investigate if Zille and De Lille suffered reputational and career damage because of the South African society’s perspective of females in positions of power.

5.5. Summary

The aim of this research was to examine how public discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders influences the reputation of the DA following two political scandals within the party. The researcher considered the tone of these conversations and how the discourse on Twitter amongst enabled and empowered citizens (stakeholders) with an online voice could lead to agenda-building. Twitter as a discursive space, public interaction with politicians and the party as well as the conversational valence of the discourse are all contributing factors. The study revealed that public online discourse amongst stakeholders on Twitter (relating to a particular political scandal) have a negative impact on the reputation of the political organisations. Based on the public’s perception of the politician, the discourse relating to the scandal can either hurt the politician’s reputation and brand (as was the case with Zille) or it can lead to an increase support of the politician (as was the case with De Lille), which in turn, harmed the DA.

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Appendices

Appendix 1: Patricia De Lille’s Statements (Tweets 4a and 4b)

De Lille’s statement against the Steehuisen Report (as identified in Tweets 4a and 4b):

13 De Lille's statement reads: "This letter was then leaked to the media in August 2018.” This date is a spelling error and should read "August 2017".

Appendix 2: Patricia De Lille’s Statement Following Her Resignation as Mayor

De Lille’s Statement about the mutual agreement between her and the DA about the decision to step down as mayor of the City of Cape Town (as identified in Tweet 5):

Appendix 3: Dataset Theme 1 (Political Party Bashing and Politician Distrust) 14 15 16 17 18

Sub-themes Identified Within Theme 1: Political Party Bashing and Politician Distrust

Party Reputation Politician Reputation 2019 Elections This is the real DA, thanks gogo for showing us I actually don't believe you Helen. Wow. Again, goodbye 2019 your true colours. this is why I would never vote to put you and your party in power. You are such a true reflection of the DA. So now you're backtracking... Your credibility See @MmusiMaimane another reason why you'll wanes by the minute... never be president of this country..... Mandela was absolutely correct when he said; zille supports apartheid and colonialism im not You just moved a portion of votes to EFF and Democratic Alliance was a party of "white bosses suprised. ANC come 2019...you can't say things like this!! and black stooges",

Dont agree at all. As a DA supporter, u dont say so I guess u wish for colonialism/apartheid Ijampile @MmusiMaimane back to the drawing that in my name. back,just lost respect for u board with the black vote, just when you gaining traction @helenzille Sometimes I ask myself how DA African voters You have zero analysis of power, racism and Even when folks are contemplating voting DA, you Tweet 1 feel when reading your tweets. Phew! history. ZERO. I cannot believe you are a Premier. just pour cold water. Keeping quiet helps. --- How the hell did that happen? DUDE!!! Louder hle. Exactly how I feel. Some black people don't love themselves I swear. This is the thinking within corridors of DA Hellen how u wish apartheid must come back U couldn't have waited after national elections to unfortunately many are fooled by Maimane the hence u want to use DA to bring back apartheid show us ur true colors. At least we know what to number one frontman aka Mamasela Joe DA must fall expect from u Subservient black lackeys in the DA are silent It's one thing accepting the course of deep history, because the madam has spoken! but trumpeting this twaddle represents an intellectual failure.

14 All appendices showcasing the data set include only @ mentions to public figures. Members of the public’s names have been left out or censored using the code @[user name]. 15 All profanities have been censored by adding an asterisk. 16 No editing has been made to the original content as it appeared on Twitter with regards to grammar and spelling. 17 Three dashes (---) between comments indicates a direct line of related responses. 18 Some tweets could easily be coded into various themes or sub-themes, but the researcher themed content that has multi-faceted aspects of various themes into the category where the biggest impact of the message lies.

99 once again Gogo has endorsed colonialism and apartheid.? Of course lady baas knows what's best for her ka****s… haha. Typical. Making it sound like white man was God's gift to mankind. are you implying that the westerners are better brained than us? They had to teach us how to live? Do I smell supremacy? Don't try to use that as justification for apartheid. Thats A very narrow view.A view that screams White supremacy.I'm surprised you dared making such A comment. this is the kind of idiocy for which there is, sadly, no cure wow I can't believe you justified Colonialism with clean piped water etc. Some things best kept to yourself tannie drinking early must be a very serios offence. its still early to be drunk gogo. You have gone completely bonkers with all due respect we as the youth have no time for your early stages of dementia and trying to romanticise colonialism You need help. It is this kind of thinking we dont want in Africa. You show your white stupidity talking like that in S Africa nice one Zille, those who thought they were home with DA Will wake up. You are a true white person Think before you tweet...this was unnecessary, reckless, racist and uncalled for, mess. if you had by chance a choice to bring back apartheid/colonialism you would right? Because there were positives there neh? it's like telling a rape victim: " Hey.....at least one of us had a good time, right!" #RacistZille #AreWeSurprised?

100

so you apologise and retweet the same crap again. What do you take us for? Just leave our country and go away this is the most stupidest thing i've ever read on the internet from so called a leader who wanna make SA better, sies helen so those are only achievable through enslavement, oppression and genocide? Nice to know where you stand. Why are you surprised by her Racist utterances ? This is the real Helen Zille,a typical undercover racist Ji**is. Someone tell her to retire, please! MmusiMaimane who is worse between zille must be reported to SAHRC . This magogo is at again?... At this rate, DA must @PatriciaDeLille and @helenzille? just forget about 2019 elections. Maybe this is plan for magogo to indirectly get rid of moruti @MmusiMaimane. But then again Moruti le bo Van Damme don't have a backbone. Dear @MmusiMaimane @JAMESSELFE3 Your book is designed to make you look good. It is #whatmussithink about jajarag hellen i wonder @zilevandamme I thought any member or leader not an unbiased history. You paint a rosy picture every 1black vote that mussi,mashaba,solly & co' of the DA who brings the party into disrepute get for yourself. What would you think of a family that pullz for D A gogo hellen scares & Loose 5black punished, more so if the person keeps on moved to Nazi Germany in the middle of the rein votes I dont blame any black Sans who thinks repeating the same offence they've apologized of Hitler? Would you say their intention was to gogo hellen is aparthied 2.0(2019) for. Is the DA caucus in WC preparing for MNC fight Nazism?

already? For the life of me, I do not understand why the DA The countenance of @helenzille is breathtaking. allow you to be on social media. Oh then again How on earth hasn't she just thrown her hands in you are the DA. the air and say "I give up". Tweet 2 Lo mama is hurting the DA! Eish, this Jewish cnut is at it again! She surely enjoys the slave topic and what she, in her madness, thinks were the positives! She can report me again to Twitter for all I care.... continues to undermine Mmusi Maimane as the imagine a household member who stop intruders "Leader" of the DA. Zille continues to prove that from raping a niece later raping the niece. Then Maimane doesn't lead the party, but he(Mmusi he buys the niece stuff, he should be applauded Maimane) is just the face of the party. helen? ------MmusiMaimane is a shameless Stoige and a sellout! ---

101

MmusiMaimane while you're are busy going after The fact that I onced loved @helenzille saw her De Lille, this which is doing the most here on as a best woman politian,,I sometimes ask myself twitter. where was my mind and eyes and ears.Nkhono ona ke problem --- You were high on nyaope. Welcome back --- I wasn't high,she just fooled some of us --- Gogo has never hidden her colours. Some blacks just didn't believe her I guess Nothing good came out of slavery your party was There is absolutely nothing wrong with, except one of the tools and now that you changed the that she is unrepentant racist, colonialism lover name you think we forgot? tell me if I'm wrong. &apartheid denialist! She must be arrested! She YOUR PARTY KILLED OUR PEOPLE has gone unpunished for far too long!SAHRC,what will it take 4you to act against @HelenZille and her ilk?! @SAHRCommission Intervene! AND THERE ARE BLACKS WHO SUPPORT A The museum of racism is at it again PARTY WHOSE LEADERS STILL JUSTIFY AND GLORIFY COLONIALISM! WOW --- I hope that the so called leader of the #DA will read this. Maybe he will be assisted in understanding what his party stands for. --- I DOUBT THAT THIS WOULD SWAY HIS OPINION OR BELIEFS! HE'S BEEN IN DENIAL MmusiMaimane @Makashule @HermanMashaba Pure racist Helen zille. Jy praat k*k @Our_DA black members, u know that feeling when you in conversation with white people and they tap u on ur back, pats their hand on ur head and talks 'pass' you. U know something is wrong but not quiet sure. It's called quiet Racism. Our_DA will never take any action, Zille has The DA is busy going after Patricia whereas they defended colonialism ka dibono. should be going after this one. Oh wait.... she’s white. What democracy?WHITE democracy This is why the DA will never gorvern this country. The white superiority displayed here is nauseating.

102

Our_DA @MmusiMaimane @JAMESSELFE3 continue to prosecute @PatriciaDeLille but overlook this Racist Bigot Who is paying you to tarnish your image @helenzille? This can't be normal, I am getting worried Aunty Helen. Please go for a check up, please! --- You can't tarnish what you don't have. You may lie to some and say that you were fighting apartheid, to me you were the journalist doing your job. At some point you were deployed by your political party to do some job. People who fought apartheid were never paid a cent, please stop it. Were you ever in a protest where you got trapped by the police? Where were you waging your war against apartheid please tell us. Wanya. How do u fight something and praise it later. You remain a proud beneficiary of apartheid Which democracy were you fighting for b.....h Which prison did you serve your sentence of fighting apartheid government? You don't get tired of lying about fighting apartheid? When the apartheid government persecuted people (black) where were you and how many people were hanged by apartheid government in front you indeed you were human right activist what did you do to prevent the hanging of my brother Kholisile Dyakala 1988 Zwelidumile Mjekula etc What did we do as a countree to deserve Helen and apartheid. --- We did nothing wrong, nnake @ HellenZille has gotten away with impunity for dat too long for he racist rants!

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SA Human Rights Commission must act on this. It can't continue like this. This is crimen injuria. The courts must also be harsh Why did your parents come to a country where one race (your parent’s race) oppressed the other? Why did they choose a country that gave them an unfair advantage based on the colour of the skin? To me you're implying that 1. Africans were lazy/stupid 2. They needed to be rescued 3. Civilization benefitted Africans???????? What I don't understand is that as a grown person, (more than twice my age) how do u not have the empathy to realise that your utterances are HURTFUL? Do you know how to throw a stone to a nyala, be jailed and be killed for your skin colour by white police? Do you how it feels to be hanged, be a child migrant worker, landless and stay in shack, in a poisoned asbestos match box house. You not a fighter! You don’t shock me anymore, but I think it’s time you join your mate Vick Helen is out here praising the most evil system against black people of colonialism & we still have black people following DA. If Helen is praising colonialism it means she can bring it back with Africans’ votes. It’s clear the way they treat blacks in DA. Unapologetic oppressors Her ancestors are the colonizers hence she sees 'good' in it otherwise the guilt is too much. She has to look for 'good' to justify their behavior. Also for colonisers, colonization was a benefit to them. Hence she can't see any wrong doing.

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Ahh the white man's burden.! Seriously makhulu in 2018 you are still singing this tired song. You are right though SA history needs to be revised coz the neocolonial crap our kids are being taught does not reflect the true history of SA or Africa as a whole Helen your points of view on the actions of your ancestors are always alarming. Every time you exercise your right to an opinion - it always seems like you constantly try to make excuses for their crimes against humanity. Unrepentant colonialism apologist. The evil in your heart knows no bounds@HelenZille! Oh my goodness Helen,the similarities between slavery and colonialism are undeniable,but anyways if that’s how feel wow your views just put things clearly of what kind of a person you are. She should actually join @Vicki Momberg after trallies! F**k you Helen Zille.. ncxxx. Stop saying you faught for democracy futhi cos UYANYA!!!! how can you defend colonialism and apartheid like this? Only whites should cos they benefitted and still are thanks to that sellout called NELSON MANDELA.. YOU WHITE PHOFU SDENGE. @DA RACISTS Kanti why can't u understand that there was nothing good about oppressing other people?? Are u mad Tjo... This women is persistent kodwa The Colonizers strikes again This woman,, hayi I give up. You were never in the receiving end of colonialism and its atrocities please refrain from this topic because you cannot tip toe around it and try to justify it Gogo please don't do this. It really hurts and very personal to some of us who still feel the effects of slavery in 2018. Yeka Mama ndiyakucela. Do not justify what is absolutely unjustifiable.

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This women is provoking us Magogo, it's hard to defend you when you say stuff like this. Are you sure that you are still sane Mara? There she goes again. Helen the coloniser will colonise just to end slavery folks. After all that, you chose to dig in your heels. It cannot be laid out any clearer & in a language you understand. I have always questioned the intellect of racists based on their reasoning. There is no saving you. But we can take a harder stance against your kind. Zero tolerance. Aunt Helen why do you still on this Colonialism thingy For you Helen, it’s more like stick a knife nine inches deep and pull six inches and consider that as making progress. Is like the old nomhle thema is back... The arrogance of this women. Sometimes is not about being right or wrong;just simply acknowledging some people's pain. Twisted... Continuing with this shameful narrative. You clearly have a nerve of steel, the way you explain this, shows that you have no remorse, guilt and empathy for the black people who suffered from the injustices of Apartheid/colonialism. But what worse is our education system.... Helen anything good you might think came with colonialism will label you as a racist, who were hardly affected by this is black nation now have you heard one saying one good thing about colonialism NO! Mrs Zille all you have to do is stand up and fight for your people, not try and refill matchboxes.

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Dear @helenzille , you must just accept that had Europeans not arrived in Africa, there wouldn't be slave trade. you continue to find something good about colonialism because you're the descendants of invaders who came to Africa to write their own history, not to learn ours!! OMG...Hellen just keeps on trying to justify colonialism.. Zille still trying to get us to thank her forefathers for colonialism. Doesn't even realize that colonialism institutionalized slavery. After they got us off our land and dependant on wages, slavery became known as employment, which is what we have today, slavery by other means --- HelenZille is a beneficiary of colonialism and apartheid! Her parents and ancestors were thieves and genocidal murderers! Please go away with your colonialism wena gogo.. You, @Our_DA and that uncle tom @MmusiMaimane are gonna pay dearly for that tweet, your fake apology and defense of that tweet at the polls next year Pls do not mislead the public ma'am. An interdict Good for you. However the SA people see is like a suspension of the original punishment. It @Our_DA as protecting u as a racist and kicking DOES NOT have anything to do with your champion of the poor @PatriciaDeLille out of the punishment itself. It's just another delayed tactics party. You will be judged at the polls #ipsos on your part as usual. You learnt so much from Msholozi Helen why say ‘interdicted’ when you could say

Tweet 3 ‘indicted’???? You're a sucker for attention mme Zille tweeting your colonial nonsense today,STOP behaving like adolescent please,you're old wa re lapisha. Oksalayo you're still racist so hambonya What makes you happy about that? No court can tell what was your intention, but only you knows. But we are happy you are following the due process.

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Does it surprise me that you value certain aspects of colonialism? No! I fully understand where you come from as a white woman. Your sentiments and pride you hold on the achievements of colonialism should be rejected by all self respecting human beings. If DA is doing things right, why the Hide-n-Seek ? Mayor de Lille, you are guilty of so much more, If @Our_DA want my vote then it is entirely on They must show the country how transparent they you really need to do this province a favour and them to prove to me they subscribe to a fair and are as they loudly claim. gracefully step down. transparent process. The accusations against u put a spotlight on them whether their internal processes are fair or not. Can I trust them with my vote? No helenzille and Our_DA fought very hard to get the What where you thinking at first by joining the Come 2019, all De Lille credibility is going to spy tapes released. MmusiMaimane is always leaberuols, this is how the thank you. waste. People will express their anger by not saying DA is a transparent and accountable party voting. They loved De Lille now on the contrary they do this. Sies dyou hypocrites. Two faced It's obvious this cabal cannot divulge the If you want to see the SMS, check your phone. Oh my word The DA is going to loose thousands

documents you requested because they silly and You sound like Zuma demanding to know who of votes due to all this nonsense they just capitalised on them even though they said what in the State Of Capture report. knew no merit to allegations. And Mmusi is a braatjie for the cabal,he barks at anything they

4a and 4b point finger at.

s If you have been charged, evidence must be You such a drama queen, acting holy when you According to @PatriciaDeLille statement and tabled openly so that you can defend or plead have hampered some of us development, can’t failure for @Our_DA to respond,I came to a guilty, DA seems not to believe their own findings. wait to bid you with a Vaya con Deus’. conclusion where I find @MmusiMaimane Tweet @jsteenhuisen guilty of deformation of character.and there is no a 13page letter.i will leave the sentence to the people of WC on this coming 2019 votes So DA is worse than Jacob Zuma...another copy Don't be fooled by the tweets of support, Patricia. this party of you is very desparate to lose Cape of Zuma's ANC... what a shame... Your lawyer would have mobilised the Town considerable EFF paid twitter network to post tweets in support. Your caucus voted you out. We read the charge sheet against you. Most people are just... jawn... just go. They got something to hide Just go away – This is a proof that @Our_DA they are bringing Apartheid if we vote for them in 2019 @MmusiMaimane they will get rid of u soon

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They want to replace you with the lady Mazzone We dont care...go to court and sort ot out...you (Millionaire) and your charge is that you are not wanted to charge Cape Town people a drought their favorite candidate to continue loot with them ! tax..you deserve to loose everything Your DAnger party hate your identity. DA and its supporters are the most hypocritical in We tired of your shenanigans...sort out your the country. They tweet all year about other problems on your own time...we have our own people's faults and when the spotlight is on them, problems.. you hear the most condescending replies ever. It's like they think they some perfect entity. Ironic because most of them stem Apar... Your case has made me see that @Our_DA is the Deal with water crisis in Cape Town. We don't same as @MYANC, in their transparency and in care about you fighting for your job. Because it is being constitutional delinquents about you. DA still operates like apartheid thugs where they Why do you have to spend more time and money? think they can fumble things clandestinely and Can you decide when and where and how to push out the mayor. She knows her rights. spend tax money? Or is it your own money. Or do you want us to become your jurors by virtue of the fact that we fear we will get yet more services hikes? Rot of the DA must be exposed now. I strongly I hear all this- with due respect though mama, stand with De Lille. She has been treated unfairly what is yo political ideology & why must we be for too long now. DA will be ashamed of concerned about what @Our_DA is doing to u? themselves in the end. Puppet Mini Mmusi doesn’t Whose political interests do u champion? I just know how to handle party issues because he is don’t want to be carried away in this whole u vs jus a puppet, no power whatsoever. @Our_DA thing not understanding the context. The DA is on a witch hunt. I see their leadership as gutless bullies that can only scare their own kids. It's obvious that they are clueless and just wasting time and money. The DA will have a very big surprise at the next polls. They will not like it. DA leaders are historical disaster in South African politics. Diarrhoea nje!!! DA digging a hole. What a bunch of fools Our_DA scrambled its own processes in their desperation to push De Lille quickly. De Lille will expose em even more than they think. They are a bunch of idiots.

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DA 's evidence is circumstantial. Here's a break down.DA triggered DeLille clause in order to scrutinize your submissions which may result in your removal as Mayor. Failure to step down enable DA to revoke your membership. No disciplinary inquiry due 2 your non member status zilevandamme and MmusiMaimane this is now becoming a volleyball match. Why can’t this poor lady get this 30 page letter she’s referring to. Sounds like a serious case of accusations which only the powers that be are privy to I am confused I must say. Is the DA now saying @PatriciaDeLille was not guilty or Plain unadulterated wickedness, taking us back to the days we fought for freedom and how they conspired against us, propaganda That steenhuisen guy is annoying --- Very especially in parliament, he thinks he’s the most intelligent -- The problem is “he thinks” imagine if he was. -- Lol if he was he would have understood what this Mrs DeLille saga is doing to the credibility of the DA, and how a swift response would absolve them of any wrong doing.” Julius_S_Malema say it again DA it's the party for whites racist helenzille and @MmusiMaimane you have match your calibre you thought she will be bullied by racist DA. respect black woman A cabal of white males and some stooges Black males fighting a Black woman. What a shame For the sake of transparency why don't DA and Patricia De Lille publish her charges

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My word it took@them this long to realize you a I hate to break this to you, your name was not women of integrity they better do damage control cleared. Now since you agreed to some backroom in CT as sooooo many people lost interest in the deal to avoid disciplinary, we can safely conclude DA that you are as guilty as charged If the DA had credible leadership this settlement In whose interest is this agreement? Did you was going to be reached long ago prove your innocence? Did you clear your name? This is how the DA operates, they swallowed in Yaah she was busy wearing boxing gloves the smaller NNP, ID, etc to form the majority, gave preparing for a fight, won some few rounds and them fake powers, and finally kicked them out, now she raises her hand to say she cannot fight, when will you ever learn, you can't trust them who does that? To hell with them You sold out yet again. Aunty los die Blou party mense.. Hulle werkie vi Why don't you put it as is? The deal was resign ons nie. then we will drop the charges. My personal feeling --- is it was cowardly of you maam to agree to this O yes the do. Now that Aunty Pat has committed deal whilst you have appealed to our emotional to the #DA, the #ANC and #EFF are worried support, however I respect your decision. I was really expecting the blonde to announce this How much was the hand shake, it must have been seeing that she's been at the forefront from the enough to keep you going forever. beggining but suddenly mymoney is back from the dead… ---

Tweet 5 The blonde was supposed to announce it but the DA couldn’t get her to stop smiling and clapping when she rehearsed the script... Our_DA a bunch of looooosers You didn't even consult us yet we was behind you when it was unpopular to do so. Ai politicians! If you read this situation correctly you will see that She's saying what the DA told her to say, after the DA's strategy is to occupy all key positions they showed her the evidence and she realised with people who will protect the white interest. she was going to have her ass handed to her. Again poor black man is used to clean up mess But when and where did you cleared your name... caused by his handlers. The Italian should be Auntie Pat... making this announcement.I think DeLille made mistake by having ths ‘joint’ announcement she should’ve called her own press conference and dump DA, now she credited them. Still sounds like a deal - both parties happy. -- Exactly, if it wasn't, they wouldn't make a joint statement good riddance

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How much was the hand shake, it must have been enough to keep you going forever. You are pleased? So you made a pact with those that called you corrupt! Who cleared you of this allegations? Why are your charges dropped? What makes you think we believe you are indeed innocent? What makes the you and the DA think we are that gullible? You've actually been self serving and wasted our time. You're a disappointment. So the agreement was 'resign and we'll drop the charges'? Sounds like corruption It means u knew about the charges mam am sorry.this news to me sound agly . Sis Pat, Jy het die gekleurde gemeenskap aan die blankes verkoop. Totdat jy besef het wat jy besig is om jou en Maimane te doen, sal dit te laat wees. Kom ons werk saam as Afrikaners en eis ons land en waardigheid terug. This raises many questions. Why have the mayor resign when the city is doing well and charges dropped? Withdrawn or cleared ? Aghhh you’re just leaving us with more questions. What happened to those who tarnished your image, are you still going to sue them? Are you still just ceremonial? Why then stay three months??? How did you clear your name? This raises many questions. Why have the mayor resign when the city is doing well and charges dropped? How did you clear your name? Through backdoor arrangement? Aunty something is not right. Why are u resigning. Ek is deurmekaar. R u guilty of something. Pls clarify why. As for u will remain a member of the DA and serve them. tell us the truth. Do they have something on u ?

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Mayor why didn't you stay for the open hearing you requested? --- PDL19: Because the party withdrew the charges due to lack of evidence. No evidence, no charges, no DC. I was ready to face the DC as I’ve always maintained. --- If you were clear why give up your job as Mayor when you still more than half of your term left. --- You should have heared Mmusi Maimane in the beginning. He said it's not about whether auntie Pat did wrong or no wrong, she must go. Because the majority members of the DA Caucus lost confidence in her. Did you not vote for #DeLille to go? Stop crying now.

The DA clearly had no case (let's face it, if there She was very happy to step aside to avoid the some of us don’t know who to vote for come 2019 was we would have heard what the charges were hearing, just because she said something different already) however they continued with making her in her statement, doesn't make it true. If she was life difficult - motions of no confidence; stripping innocent, she would not step aside. She would her of her mayoral powers. Going to work to fight rather tear the party that she belongs to into daily is not healthy 4 anyone pieces, good riddance. There are many in the boat & as a @Our_DA Great she RESIGNED! Now #DA can knock the Thank you very much for exposing the DA for

supporter I must apologise to @helenzille and socks off the #PatriciaDeLille Saga & MOVE ON. what it is. My guess is that this fiasco (caused by @PatriciaDeLille for the way they have been Metro of #CapeTown should now embark on the blue-eyed boys) will cost them dearly in the treated by the @Our_DA.It seems politicians own championing capable governance & excellent 2019 elections. The mascara has been stripped interests come first and there is no place for service delivery. #DeLille fiasco has been a #DA off, and the monster has been exposed. Tweet 6 honest, compassionate and experienced focal point while Cape Town is being run into the colleagues. ground. No matter your reasons I see it as you having You did the same to Tony Yengeni and his Why should we vote to keep @Our_DA in power been bullied by these men and sadly you finally career..... Karma is a b**ch! But iam sad that you when they can abuse people like this? Is this how gave in. I am worried about the future of those drop the fight.....at least make the DA pick up your they will treat members of the public? If the mayor who will follow from you, Lindiwe was thrown attorneys tab had to leave due to abuse, then what chance under the bus now it is YOU. The DA is a boys does the ordinary citizen have when they are in club allowing few girls to be in the party . power? @MmusiMaimane

19 This indicates a direct response from Patricia de Lille to the user’s comment.

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People stop giving aunt Pat some difficulties . The It’s just a pity that you’ll still be there for three DA clearly don't want her anymore because she is months!!!!!  done giving them the votes they were looking for. When the issue was still hot, spokesperson, U should have done that a million yrs ago. But no! Mazzoni and real DA leader John Selfe were the U had to stand your ground and prove everyone ones dealing with statements and all..Now thy wrong. I hope U never come to the EFF. U are send The garden boy to go announce the decision much too expensive to keep up with to the masses... Where was the DA leader when this was still hot? The DA has scored an own goal, the perception is You were all like bring it on, let’s box, I’m ready.... that they used you to gain support & now that they and now after the deal, poor me, consistent (sic) have extracted all the could from you, there's no abuse reason to keep you around. What they fail to realise is that you have a constituency that still support you. Furthermore history has shown that perception and realty in politics is intertwined. This is a blunder for the DA, you're an asset, they will regret this unfortunate decision. You have played your part , move on cause it's No Aunt Pat. We don't understand. You haven't clear the DA has an agenda against you, they cleared your name and if you let this matter slide want you out at any cost . the DA will do the same to someone else. And what will make the abuse better? Resignation? The DA is a bunch of crooks,what happened to De What about standing for the truth? Surely with the Lille happened to many like Lindiwe Mazibuko.The hearing open to the media, the masses would've DA http://whites.run that party like a terrorist had an opportunity to make their own decisions organization.Once they want you out,they will mobilize the media to assist.But,De Lille beat them with all their resources. Mina I'm just glad that I saw the real DA what they So sad that you’ve compromised your principles are doing to our people like this. What do they have in you? And @MmusiMaimane was proud to present You sold out. these sad news. Apartheid tendencies are still alive and kicking in DA. No wonder they have former apartheid officials serving in DA high roles Even if they put a black person to replace u they You sold out the socialist revolution made a blunder im a DA member but im confused with DA decision Official score: Score: 0 Patricia 0 DA Mmmmm . . . If you’ve done nothing wrong . . . Why resign !!

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So did you send the SMS? We still need to know.... Could not take the abuse but choose to be an active member of the same party that abused you? How does that work? Chuckle, chuckle... So, NOW you don't mind about "clearing my name..." anymore? We believe you ! Just like any other person in politics! Was that statement part of the deal ? Very nice I still won't vote DA If it's not a deal why are they withdrawing charges against you SO, U didnt make a deal, you just merely agreed to resign and in turn the charges would be dropped? What a sweet "DEAL!!!" The reason you left is - "I took the personal decision to resign because I could no longer take the consistent abuse." OR "Because the party withdrew the charges due to lack of evidence. No evidence, no charges, no DC. I was ready to face the DC as I’ve always maintained" You did make a deal(agreement). You said your name was smeared publicly, hence insistence on public hearing. U got the courts to force DA. Now u got the hearing u wanted, but now you and DA are good and your name is cleared.....Your name was publicly smeared, SO why have you not cleared your name publicly? Why behind closed doors? A mutual agreement is a deal. So u are saying ur @Our_DA cooked the charges against u n upon withdrawal u decided to resign? How, end of the political movie nje, just like that .... Ayi we understand, at least you made a decent leaving Aunty Patricia, we are still impoverished, 20 something odd years since you [too] where a politician, like them. U are just like the whole of DA, to think I once sided with u...

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Mmmmm . . . If you’ve done nothing wrong . . . Why resign !! Taking the easy way out. Whatever. A 'settlement' of any kind without an adequate public APOLOGY from DA to you will be considered a DEAL. --- Very true seems like they both have something to hide, politicians With politicians, there is ALWAYS a deal. --- Yes - here it is! A “mutual agreement” IS a deal. --- That’s the offical deal, just imagine the back-room one… "You could no longer take the consistent abuse"... but why remain the member of it? In other words she's saying she remains the member of DA despite the fact that it abuses her..of which (abuse) is the reason of her resignation. I, for one, personally doesnt believe this. Why then is the DA involved in your resignation. Why then are they dropping 'the charges'? In Lindiwe's words, i smell a rat. So if De Lille's name has been cleared, why resigning as a Mayor? If DA is serious about fighting corruption within their ranks, why make a deal with a "corrupt" individual? There is more to this. It was a deal aunt Pat and we are hurt Sleeping Warm & comfortable, each&every night, yet YOU COULD NOT TAKE IT ANY LONGER??? Wow..now give a thought 2 the unemployed & pensioners or the MOST vulnerable in SAwith NO POWER...HOW must they feel DAILY??? Yet Depression & mental illness is NOT an excuse mos, neh!! MXM

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But why are still in the DA if the party has been abusing you make it sound like DA is a bad and evil party and you are enjoying all the attention you are getting You destroyed your credibility. The assumption is made that the charges were real.

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Appendix 4: Dataset Theme 2 (Politician Trust, Support and Encouragement)

Politician Trust, Support and Encouragement That's not a popular view but very true; SA would have a very different landscape today without infrastructure without engineering ---

Thered be a lot fewer people without the decline in infant mortality rates that western medicine brought about.Not good? You're talking about the broader picture. Something those with a political agenda don't want to acknowledge. ANC, EFF, PAC, NDM helenzille Ask them to give those things up. It will reduce the tax burden on the rest of us. Tweet 1 it had its positives..I agree..but it should not be condoned..If that's your point.,then I totally agree what makes you think that they are capable of separating emotion from logic....

Would one be agreeing because it's politically expendient to do so. The correct narrative may be that nothing good for the slaves came out of slavery. An entire modern world economy in which all participate and from which all enjoy benefits is a result of the slave trade

Tweet 2

Ive always been looking for the words to discribe the helen hating tweets..now ive found it tanx to @[user name]..selective criticism..helen's white so we only see her as wrong..we decide wu is wrong..meaning if a black person does wrong..it doesnt mata..selective critism --- HZ20: Frankly, my thesis is different. It emanates from a deliberate discrediting campaign called "kompromat" run by sockpuppets and bots. Please read this: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2018-07-15-from-the-inside-a-twitter-clean-out-casts-light-on-the-world-of-sockpuppets-bots-and-putin-zuma- thugocracy/ Good for you and our democracy Helen and all the best on this case👋🏽 👋🏽 👋🏽 I look forward to the review outcome

Good news!! Congratulations! the entire saga is testimony only to the confirmation bias of the twitter lynch mob. The words in the tweet are not even repeated accurately. When those three words "the legacy of" are removed, it has a different meaning. And " not negative" is a bland statement. #Trial by Trolls Tweet 3 --- Nicely summed up @[user name] You understand Sanity prevails Hurray for reason! Like others she completely misunderstood what you said! Vindication!!! Now let's hear from the real sockpuppets of the ANC and the fake outrage. I see they've already beat me to it. I hope your arguement is going to be about freedom of expression rather that trying to justify what you said - which needs no justification but the way. --- What was wrong about what she said?

20 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment.

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--- Nothing! She was 100% correct. 1. Legally, based on her finding that your tweets violated S16 of the Constitution and in terms of S 182 of the same Act, she overreached her powers. She is not the appropriate institution to investigate alleged human rights violations. Also, your tweets are fair comment. Awesome!!! As long as you following due process. Not the contempt shown by the provincial legislature. The word "Colonialism" in South Arica today is code for whites. When they say colonialism is bad they mean whites. Sinister racism.

Sub-themes Identified Within Theme 2: Politician Trust, Support and Encouragement

Rallying and Respect De Lille’s Political Future Well said. I share your sentiments Come to EFF mama... Meet them punch for punch! The EFF doors are wide open You are the embodiment of Mam'Winnie! I've got ton respect for you. Soldier You need to think about your next move, the DA is done with you Aunty, you've on! seen this before..... Expose them Mam Patricia. Mam Patricia clear your name and come join @EFFSouthAfrica I'm sure they've forgotten that you came with your followers teach them a Switch houses EFF has a spot for you hard lesson fracture them severely mama Tannie Pat, ek wil Vir een ding sê, as Mmusi met en tannie Helen Mors Dan Hulle soek jou nie meer tannie maar by vas daar. Gaan nerens. Kan Hy vergeet van my stem. Jy veg my tannie jy veg wat ek Weet Weer

daar is een of Ander self verryking wat sal volg as julle twee nie meer deel is van die DA nie. The people’s Mayor fight back Come to @EFFSouthAfrica mma @PatriciaDeLille and have fun "Operation Squeeze" them Aunty P Patricia, you’re serving at the pleasure of a certain political party that put you

4a and 4b there. When they decide it’s time for you to leave you need to leave. That’s how

s it works. Don't give the vultures any more ammunition . . . No retreat , no surrender . who else is ready for independent Democrat #Amandla Tweet Tell them not to waste your time south African communities is waiting for Come back to the progressive movement you are right to fight this bunch of your service hypocrites starting with Helen Zille who plots 2 remove u from the DA WC Chair Yes mama don't let Any of this slide. You will always have a home in the EFF and in our hearts when ever you are ready @EFFSouthAfrica will welcome you with opened arms... @PatriciaDeLille is and will remain our mother, sister, auntie nd granny You have my support, Mrs Mayor! Sending you strength from Jozi! ANC needs you , you will be better placed and contribute to all South Africans with no fear or favor! You have my support Where were you going in the first place? U left PAC and cross thed floor to form you ID. Later in the persuit for power without earning it, you joined DA. Now there are giving you your own taste. Come back home, PAC sesi.

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Interesting how this whole horrible mess intent on scarring your reputation If you really want to make change do it away from these wicked vile people, God always seems to come back to the same person. Keep going, Patricia. You takes care of them, let God do your fighting and we will give you our vote away have my support and that of thousands. Strength, strong lady xx from DA The best way to deal with lies in by taking it to court. Well done Mam Patricia. Mam Patricia. EFF will be your new home once you are done with them .The Challenge them to the highest court until you get your Justice. We can't have door is always open . politicians lying and we take it as fact. Politics is not about lies. Continue to fight Auntie Pat Nobody really cares. If the DA is not working for you then move on. If they don't want you then move on. It's quite simple really. Move on. Make your own path. Give them hell mama. Start your own party! Shamba the Lion would have been so proud of you for fighting like a true go to 'new dawn' ANC lioness Take them to the cleaners Stand up for urself auntie...... it's time to fight back...... fire with fire Please fight to the core, they need to be clear as to why you Being removed. Expose them we behind you Don’t give up. Don't let them walk all over u Patricia they have used u now they want to cast u aside, we with u Respect you Antie @Our_DA #DontTouchMyMayor innocent until proven guilty ! We support you fully Give them hell aunty Pat. Show them flames. Remind them that they didn't make you, and they will never break you Yoh!!! Sorry aunty Patty. Stay strong. Keep your head up. Honourable Mayor we support you. The only reason you are facing these problems is because you stand for truth and integrity. Trust in God as you go through this trial. We are praying for you. They cannot win aunty Pat. They are going to be exposed soon enough. Hang in there aunty Pat I fully support you. Love your strength and willpower, aunty Pat. I salute you for teaching us to Would love to have u in the EFF aunty. Anyway considering ur PAC background pull through during difficult times! Best wishes! it was in inevitable that u would not suit in the DA. DA represent everything that PAC stood against. A red beret would suit u nicely. we always love your work. U worked hard is Mayor of Cape Town "Where to from here Aunty? I go where you go... Give me the signal Aunty Pat I beg

Tweet 5 True to you word, you indeed told @Eusebius that once your name is EFFSouthAfrica is her #NewHome" cleared you will resign. Respect unto you Mam Pat and all the best with future endeavors

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Thank you for your Service to the City of Cape Town and more especially I want to see you being a premier of Western Cape province next year Thank you for being a voice to Women of this country Farewell Mayor #DeLille Free from all the drama @PatriciaDeLille . You are a very strong women Come and come us @EFFSouthAfrica as we continue to fight for poor of the well done what you have done in recent years for the people of CPT. poorest You will always be my role model since you the age of 5 I looked up to you I see the EFFiciency in U Ai auntie Pat we leave them in the hands of the Lord. Hy sal hulle uitsort. Bring back ID It was worth it dear. We all have learned something out of this fight. And please do not join EFF unless you want to be submissive for the rest of your political career. Again with the long history of your liberation struggle and your credible political background you won't last in there anyways. I like your fight Mayor. Nah, she will reform her political party, ID.Shes not that stupid.Joining DA was her biggest mistake, she was used as most of you. You'll always be a woman of substance, proving you have the right to object Join another party and cause harm to this arrogant and racist DA in 2019. to unfair/unjust treatment... Best wishes for your future Prioritise EFF. Meanwhile Atholl Trollip is history. Thank YOU for being an incredible human being and serving us for the Patricia will you campaign for the DA in Cape Town ahead of the Election majority of your life! I wish I could come to you personally and give you the Campaign? biggest hug. You are an incredible example of leadership, transparency and service! Well Done to all. True leadership, proud of y'all History will exonerate you woman warrior. Our fight is for land and not the high positions we were sold in 1994. This party publicly shamed you. You exposed a lot about it and for that I thank you. Best wishes @PatriciaDeLille I am very glad to see an agreement with @Our_DA has been reached.. Much respect aunty Patty the Da will face the consequences at the ballot box from the coloured votes You WON in this matter. You defeated them by going back and forth to court and exercising your rights. If you had given up the rest of SA would have believed you guilty without being given a trial. Power to you Wow despite what has transpired along the process i like what you're saying " i also want to thank the DA for the opportunity to serve as mayor of Cape Town" You're a true leader Mama. We're looking up to you!! Thank you for a lifetime of service to this beautiful country, Aunty Pat. From the time it was illegal, to watching our flag, our journey, unfold. Thank you. Mama Pat.. You are super amazing mama wam Viva @PatriciaDeLille Viva

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i remember on 702 you said you just wanted to clear your name and then Form another party @PatriciaDeLille You are so experienced, honest and you would step down , a person of their word something very scarce in SA compassionate. I will gladly vote for you as DA treatment has been politics i applaud you embarrassing. "I am saddened that you have resigned as Mayor. I have the greatest respect You are welcome to join EFF. for you and your work ethic as well as you personal ethics. If must have been a very difficult decision and I wish you well in whatever your future holds. You have at least exposed them for who they really are....we now know Please clear your name. Stay in DA. I really admire you and i want you and DA better.your peace of mind comes first major to resolve this matter once and for all. Many within other political parties have been "mistreated" by their own parties, but have still remained loyal to their political home. Amen to that. People should note that PdL did not point fingers. She's been "Watch this space... Aunty Pat is not done. If she stays in the DA, maybe a the target of abuse from many different sources...by staying in the DA she premier post or another snr position in the party. If Ramaphosa lures her to the makes it obvious that they had no case and they know it! A principled leader, Anc that could be a huge coup for him. Eff is possible too, considering she was putting citizens of CT first" once a snr leader in the PAC. You helped a lot of South Africans, We now know the true colours of the For retirement package ANC will suit her better, but if she still want to be active, DA.THANK YOU!!! EFF is the way to go..." Life continues. All the best Patricia. We have a place for you in the EFF auntie Pat. Iza mama All strength to you Patricia Come n join ANC Indeed my sister you went through horrible unjust treatment Leave the DA. It has no respect for you, and they don't have your interests at heart. When you decide to leave, take your ID. And leave them to sink. We understand mama, free yourself from this party. You were never gonna Good decision, we waiting for you as ANC

Tweet 6 win this battle. You did a great job indeed God bless you We are ID, we followed you leader to DA. Say the word, and we will follow you to our new home! You fought valiantly within in the lines of the law, you exposed a soft Here's an idea, @PatriciaDeLille and Thabo Mbeki, start a new party together underbelly of who the true leaders are within the DA. You are still a and watch us vote for you… revolutionary and many people will follow if one day you start your own party again because then we can be sure about our vote! Amandla! Yes mom we all understand the pain you have been subjected to. We Mayor @PatriciaDeLille don't waste time pls join our @EFFSouthAfrica like support you and we love you. yesterday. Pls pls… This then qualifies you to lodge a case of constructive dismissal Join EFF Regardless, I think your did right by resigning as Mayor because council will Come back to ANC Mama eventually gang up against you completely. I say, leave the DA Aunty Pat, it was never your real flavour. I get it. I watched #WTFTumi tonight and really enjoyed listening to the Aunty pat and Thuli madonsela should start start something. I wana vote for discussions & some of your history. It was a reminder again that a stalwart truth, we need something new, forget the past and let's focus on the future. like you had walks among the ranks of the DA. It's a shame that you were That's what most of these parties lack they live in the past. Hense they are all treated with disdain by some. You are appreciated by many. chorupt. WE US I respect your decision Auntie Pat...Good luck in your future Join EFF endeavors...GOD BLESS…

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Auntie there's still lot of fight in you come on can't wait for your next move "Come home aunt Pat we know ideologically you can bring change [ANC supporter]" Thanks Mamu Patricia De Lille you did you part to tranform/Change Western yoh it's unbelievable but you took a good decision so tell me which political party Cape to be beautifully as is to lead with an example in our beautiful province you are willing to join at the moment? I thank you for that Mama we will always Support you we ever you go Best decision you have been abused for too long. Apply you mind to settle Who u joining?? this. Well done mama yoh it's unbelievable but you took a good decision so tell me which political party you are willing to join at the moment? God will be with you and protect you all favor is already on it way in Jesus Hi ,Ms.or should I say Mrs. So what's next which party you gonna join this name . You protected, blessed and favored. AMEN tym????

- PAC - DA what's next "I would believe you if you didn't call a joint statement with @MmusiMaimane Be at peace with it. We South Africans know what you have done. We know I would believe you if he didn't in his own words say 'she agreed to resign' your capabilities and strengths. Please just come and join @MYANC and help as a woman I saw the body language and the puffed eyes in you and I knew to contribute positively in our country. you were not okay. #DeLille You body language during that press briefing is one that most women could relate to. One that keeps a straight face and act strong inside when you know inside you are dying and tired of proving a point tired of fighting patriarchy." All the best with your future endeavors madam mayor. U Did well I support your decision. Am really sorry to hear this, but can empathize with you. The stress of dealing with bullies is no joke. I do hope that you pursue this as a constructive dismissal case, now that you don't have to defend your job. Well done for being so strong. Good for you. Its pointless to stay at a family that does not value you. I love Auntie Pat I support you aunty Patty I believe in you Good move comrade stay safe and in peace I admire your guts and fighting spirit! All of the best with future endeavours. I am so proud of u. You fought till the end. You are my hero. Love u We love you Aunt Pat Wishing you all the best in life You are my hero Well done Cde Patricia. Love you mam Pati  , you did good, your health matters. Stay blessed!

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Im deeply pained by your resignation As long as it ws on your terms Auntie Pat, we support you. We've seen them fumble & flounder...It's patently clear now, that with you @Our_DA is hopelessly out of their depth. You've exposed them for the unrepentant hypocrites they are, for this we owe a great deal of gratitude I applaud you for that decision I know it was not easy....deal or no deal everything I done now let's focus on the future. DA is DA we know who they are ...... its a whites farm. But I feel sorry for the ppl you leaving behind after you resolved party who's gonna stand for them You were not wanted there cause you were exposing corruption

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Appendix 5: Dataset Theme 3 (Empowered Citizen Participation)

Sub-themes Identified Within Theme 3: Empowered Citizen Participation

Colonial Legacy Addressed African Identity Affirmed thats f**ked up helen. whats good infrastructure gon do for me when im No. Necessity is the mother of invention. When those things became oppressed. necessary. Africans would have conceptualized and built. don't conflate the --- importance of independent judiciaries. Those are essential for social systems HZ21: Do you think life would be better without infrastructure? based on Western democracy. who's to say that democracy and independent --- judiciaries are necessarily better than African social systems that were Yes I wouldn't have needed it. People survived well before someone came erased? Apparently countries that weren't colonized would never be able to in and took their land . advance? What happened to free trade? why aren't you telling European countries that they would never have education and universities & modern medicine if they hadn't stolen these things, and written history in a way that

purports them to be European inventions? Stop. Just stop it. so what's this nonsense abt being grateful abt the infrastructure apartheid GoGo wait,we would've made a plan,tried better african measures to clean our came with water...OUR WATER!!... White South African from center-right party @HelenZille says colonialism Are you suggesting that complex water systems were exclusive to western Tweet 1 wasn't all that bad: at least the colonizers made some pipes! Cuba created civilisation? Really?? Cause then I have A LOT to teach you about the world. the best health care system in Latin America by overthrowing colonialism through socialist revolution. Colonialism in fact sometimes led to deindustrialization, not development. This is especially true of China & India http://www.nber.org/papers/w10586 Under colonialism China was plagued by illiteracy, opium addiction, female subjugation, warlords. Decades after revolution it's a superpower many black people don't even have houses for piped water to go to!! Minor You do know africans taught Europeans architecture right ? You guys detail isn't it? hindered our progress just to gain access to our resources… And irrigation, and... Well, BATHING, but who's counting?

21 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment.

125 haaibo.. what did the judiciary do for black people all those years? In my none of these were colonial 'inventions'. Your reading of history seems limited area we only got piped water after '94 to colonial history. ------yes the acclaimed judiciary sent many innocent people to the gallows. Our it's deliberate. They're deliberately omitting parts of history to justify their vile family members included racism. ------Some "independent judiciary" indeed! Roads and piped water for some I really hate this narrative. There are numerous countries that have "piped only. water" without having been colonised or enslaved. ------Are you talking about the independent judiciary that hanged black people case in point is Ethopia. It was never colonized but has infrastructure better for asking to be treated with dignity in their own country? than some of the colonized countries --- Indeed! Indepenfent of whom? Serving whose purposes? Raises questions about apartheid judiciary. "Independent judiciary " is post 1994 --- haaibo, let me keep quiete such utterances will make one to get hysterical. Mama,the piping etc was not for the oppressed people.It was for the #helenzille we may never know how far Africans would have advanced had it colonizers as they settled. which is why the electricity/water infrastructure not been for the bloodsucking #colonizer to Gugs is a mess to sort out.It was not catered for in the planning. --- Why buy into the myth? Africans had gold, athletic prowes, empires & interntnl trade long before colonisation. cuz Black folks could never have figured out water in houses without white all that and much more could have happened through trade. No amount of colonizers or anything else,right? "development" triumphs the freedom to self-rule. houses u mean for whites??? U seems to forget easily boards that read with who's resources on who's land "whites only" everywhere lol logogo.. suppose she'll also extend her argument to be "infact have you considered that without colonialism we could have accomplished colonialism gave yall water too-be grateful" MORE than the 'positive' things it left behind. actually it was very beneficial to a certain group of people. we had water, transportation, judiciary that worked well for us before colonization & we used herbs for cure ourselves Where’s the bright line that distinguishes where oppression is okay and not Do your know who the Moors were? They were the very wealthy BLack people who introduced all those things to Europe love. ;) The only reason you think colonialism was good is because it was done by Ridiculous statement that ignores the history and achievements of Africa your ancestors. Our_DA is that why Khayelitsha is like that? Don't flatter the nation let the did black people plead with your people for pipes and "infrastructure" I believe results say it al we doing JUST fine before your people invaded

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Whose Back bones were Getting broken when all those things were Being that could have happened through the normal progress of human civilization Built white peoples ? without the subjugation and trafficking of people. --- , maybe we would be more responsible with the development of science, Maybe we should just give Helen Zille a call and just "talk" 0825605493 technology and civilization if we hadn't hurried it along. --- , maybe we wouldn't have cut down our forests, made extinct our animal And who were they making it for? Black and brown people? species, choked up our atmosphere, melted our icecaps., we can't rewrite --- history, but we shouldn't make apologies for it either. Human progress should what a good question not be built on human suffering. Even rape can produce a beautiful baby, what is your point exactly madam water distribution developed from time immemorial. See Greeks, Egyptians Premier! and Andalusian models. #mythsofhelenzille Applying the same logic, murder is good, it results in less people on earth, we don't care about those things, we care about our history and our traditions climate change is great it, gives us warmer winters that colonialism disturbed, we care about land! for her our grandparents were just casualties but independent judiciary is a product of democracy,,.something that black people brought to SA b****ch to think I'm 34 yrs old but only experienced piped water in 1998. Yeah colonization worked well for everyone. We were dispossessed of our land, forced to work in the mines and paid slaved wages and wena you are telling us about piped water? piped water and transport infrastructure which was built using which labour kanene under what conditions? tell us Hellen, we are your slaves The purpose of colonialism was to build infrastructure and piped water for Europe. Not us! Don't get it twisted. defending colonialism. Tough sell You simply saying that blacks are fools and they wouldn't build infrastructure without the white master. @helenzille Easy to build great infrastructure when you stealing and using the countries resources on the advancement of whites only… All those benefits were not meant for the oppressed. It was meant to benefit the white people. a black person can never be greatful for poverty You simply saying that blacks are fools and they wouldn't build infrastructure without the white master. @helenzille Easy to build great infrastructure when you stealing and using the countries resources on the advancement of whites only… Direct translation: Africa and its inhabitants are savages who would be stuck in the stone ages if not for Colonialism consider that the very infrastructure you speak about was designed to keep settlers comfortable and extract wealth en mass

127 the negative outweighs positive, your reference specifically has more negative legacy than positive. --- I agree whole heartedly with you. My Leader Mmusi too has adequately expressed my sentiments in this regard. --- ... so some see the negative. Zille chooses to see the positive in a proverbial political rape hayi bo! Independent judiciary & colonialism in one sentence?! Remember the TRC & judges who refused to account? Wag 'n bietjie! I will never forget your comments. you're very proud of Europe aren't you?Consider how all of this infrastructure was built to facilitate exploitation and extraction a black person never be greatful for land that was stolen This "civilizing-mission" statement is the exact rationale used to justify colonialism & all its evils. How can't you see that? colonisers massacred our black our people in Langa and Sharpville on March 21, Judiciary system did not offer any remedies then consider how this infrastructure was built only around natural resource reserves. It was an economic necessity for Europe. uncle rapes his niece BUT well sends her to varsity and says "BUT I sent her to varsity ok'salayo?".U find that acceptable? So without white people black society would have never progressed? Is that what you think? #colonialism was 100% about murder and exploitation. Stop defending it and #focus on truth/reconcilliation. Thats whats needed. Hayi please. Those things were great for only the white population. Judiciary was subjective as it never assisted black people And on whose land were those built on?? No black person benefited from that. This rubbishes invaded our land n we should b grateful? so what you are saying hellen is that oppression was a blessing in disguise? where is the infrastructure in black communities in Cape Town, where is the law to those who can't afford lawyers #HellenZille you mean to say without white people we would be nothing and it's good that they came and did what they did to our people . would you have worked in the trenches as a general worker to built the roads etc back then?

128 total bs. people were doing just fine before colonizers showed up and began murdering, burning, looting. Wow! But you are animate to the fact colonial cabal created a system that favored their 'Citizens' and disfavored others. what transport infrastructure ? Freeways for the minority who own cars? all insignificant when you think of our poverty. colonized nations were not poor or uncivilized. they were actively underdeveloped by imperial powers in order to extract resources and subjugate indigenous populations. i was going to ask how you don't know this but considering you're anti ANC it seems pretty clear you do can we colonize u, ur kids, their kids kids and in return, i will give you some water and may be some food. Hey, at least, i will provide food and water for u. sounds like a good deal? when can we do it? You cant force people to be thankful for using your property that you brought into their house without an invitation to do so. that's a laughable assertion. True legacy of colonialism -blacks r still by far the poorest race in SA 2 decades post apartheid. you can never justify colonialism,the socioeconomic infrastructure you are applauding was created for the benefit of a few. K*k, all those things could have happened with communication, trade & education. Colonialism aimed to occupy, steal & convert. --- exactly. Not exactly a friendly cultural exchange programme was it? --- Dont be sensational now @[user name] who would have brought education? How wld com be possible? wld realy  2 know @helenzille --- Correct but history has taught us that no one does that for free. It's a messed up world out there

129 what next? Slavery wasn't ALL bad. It gave people the opportunity to visit foreign countries? --- HZ22: Slavery WAS all bad. There was nothing beneficial about it. --- Contradiction madam, the same colonialist you are praising used slavery as tool to destroy black lives! --- but slavery built that infrastructure you claim is the "plus side" of colonialism. --- but slavery was a huge part of colonialism. So how is it ALL BAD if colonialism isn't? --- I thought you were going to say slavery was good because people got to see how other people live... --- Sorry to "well actually" you here but the US (and global) economy benefited greatly from African slavery. --- Slavery is what made a white man rich today. They exploited labour of a black man for free. --- Your logic extends to slavery, @hellenzille : a legacy of benefits in immigration, technology and governance. --- Except when the slave masters started building roads right? Oh and judges of crimes by their slaves right? --- Europeans & Americans built what we now know as 1st world countries- benefits of colonialism u have a sick logic madam --- Slavery IS very alive today, we slaves just get to pick our own slave masters in the new economic dispensation. --- slavery isn't restricted to America and Europe. Black people are enslaved as farm workers earning next to nothing. previously they were maids and garden boys and you assumed the role of "madam" and "baas". It's a huge part of colonialism --- Slavery went hand in glove with Colonialism.

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--- if slavery was all bad then so was colonialism and apartheid. The dehumanizing, killing, terrorizing of people is never good --- and no black person ever did? Slavery AND colonialism is not a race thing... --- ,colonialism and slavery are just two sides of the same coin Helen, a very bad coin. Am actually disappointed with you --- colonalists,whom you say were &could still be beneficial,made slaves of Africans!!U were wrong,just accept that! --- stupid b**ch slavery and colonialism go hand in hand!! When ur enslaver becomes ur "savior", u become the principal agent in ur own destruction. There was nothing good with colonialism n slavery, there was nothing good with a mythical white christ. Both r two sides of same coin, violence, n mental colonisation. But u are defending Colonisation there was nothing good about stop saying they stopped slavery which they started so tseek maan hayi maan Gog' Helen.. We thank you for your efforts.. Apartheid has sort of ended and we have some sort of democracy. You can sit down now. But for our landless people still under extreme poverty @EFFSouthAfrica

@Black1stLand1st @Mngxitama @Julius_S_Malema will continue the fight. Were your movements restricted because of your skin colour? Were there places you were denied entry based on race? Was your family harrassed Tweet 2 by the apartheid government? As if white refuges were treated any different to other whites,all whites in SA enjoyed the benefits of white supremacy system; All whites were labelled Europeans&they viewed SA as little Europe in Africa,so if u were of European decent u enjoyed all privileges; Whites---Europeans And the privilege that you enjoy as a white SA? Surely you are clever enough to know that it was deliberately constructed and conferred upon a single race. Now just by being white in a society of mixed races, you inherit such a system which dictated even your education

22 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment.

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Yes work hard to kill us and still our land lets agree that they had an unfair advantage of access to oppoturnities just by being white.Its a fact What were Black People in South Africa doing when White People / White Refugees in South Africa were "working so hard"? Hard work? Africans work harder than anyone in this country and for peanuts. It's a lot of hard work motivating oneself to go to work for R1500 a month. My grandfather had a thriving business in Kensington (declared coloured) before he was forcibly moved eventually to Gugulethu (Ny 134-18). He lost his business and eventually his family and health. Working hard for him was not the same as working hard for white refugees. Helen please explain how it helped ? Slavery underpins colonialism. Colonial rulers were coerced by abolitionists hence paid compensation to slave owners for the lost of "manpower". Compensation tht benefitted whites for generations to come. No Helen slavery helped colonialism become a success, slavery "ended" because westerners wanted to regulate and portray it in a dignified manner. You cannot shame slavery and praise colonialism for innovation, akukwazi! Whites created system of slavery, then Colonization and then Democracy. Slavery- Exported people in chains to work in foreign land. Colonisation- Enslaved people in their native land. Democracy- After taking everything, they modernize slavery, so we believe that we free. --- With democracy we are to blame. We have a voice/vote now. Colinism helped?you do realize we NEVER asked for this help you so proud of....it was FORCED on us... --- If it wasn't for them we wouldn't even have these day zeros and global warming Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter. Chinua Achebe Because colonialism played a role in ending slavery doesn't mean we glorify the colonialism. They were equally wicked; different packaging. Resilience Prevails

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That’s like crediting P.W Botha with ending apartheid. Slavery was part and parcel of the colonial project, its form simply changed to look less violent. Much like the manifestation of your own racism. Helen its a Sunday tog. Colonialism, Apartheid, slavery belong to the same WhatsApp group they were all wrong. No amount of justification can make them right. It ended slavery because they stopped shipping us to the western world and decided to stay in Africa and continue to enslave and exploit us on our land. Actually colonialism gave birth to apartheid. Colonialism is the main reason black families were broken. It's the reason black people lost the land they had. It's the reason black people lost their wealth! Btw slavery also downgraded because whites discoverd that they could make more money from the land than they did with slavery But Helen, how can you say that a system which exacerbated slavery (colonialism), ended slavery? Colonialism is slavery reloaded... You are a true product of apartheid history... Even the infrastructure you talk about was made for white people and not the Natives... Look at your colonial outpost of Western Cape as a true example of colonialism I really thought they went hand in hand as they were both actions of your forefathers.. No shame gogo! We are in this situation because of colonialism! Majority remaining trapped in poverty Do you agree that we need economic freedom? So colonialism decided to end something it wasn’t supposed to do in the first place... Here is a gold medal for the West Told us that we must be oppressed till to the grave? Are u joking I thought colonialism actually formalized slavery. The colonialists became masters and put everything on paper. Ha ha ha! As if Colonialism was / is different from SLAVERY. Colonialism is just localized slavery. There was/is no positives born from colonialism. The system was built to solely benefit a certain elite during it's time. The "positives" we inherited isn't necessary those that we wished for. I see it as a rightly return for the blood our fathers spilled. It's ours, not theirs! Justifying colonialism or praising certain aspects of it is like saying a forced marriage for young women to older rich men can be good because at least she will have money! Colonialism is synonymous to slavery though

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Slavery was downgraded not ended, just because Africans werent working in plantations anymore does not mean they werent still forced to work for white people. Colonialism is now being thanked for helping end Slavery??? Who started slavery in South Africa??? Colonialism also funded all if not most of the riches that we associate with Europe.... Colonialism was just like slavery. People were enslaved in their own countries/land. Come on. And FYI those history textbook in libraries never represented black folks in anyhow...nothing positive or empowering black folks is not documented in libraries...so don't try and patronize us ma'am...... @helenzille There was no slavery before colonialism Rewriting history is not reforming. In SA Europeans have virtually written the African contribution to development out of all history books. No wonder you failed to respond to my requests for meeting about current corporate enslavement in CPT in 2011-13. Helen you can’t be serious. Colonialism and enslavement (to use its proper term as no one is born or chooses to become a slave) are intertwined. You cannot separate one from the other. From the places people were enslaved, colonialism followed. Simple put there’s no difference between colonialism,slavery and apartheid slavery to colonialism to Neo-colonial capitalism, same perpetrators, same victims. Same illusion of some freedom. In other words you saying had it not been for colonialism we would still have slavery in parts of Africa and thus we should be grateful to colonialism??? Voestek wena gogo Both slavery and colonialism are morally reprehensible. Looking for and pointing to positives for either is also morally reprehensible. --- Well I guess it's a dog eats dog out there while we're busy reconciling some people have gone back to old ways --- Sadly, many people never left the old ways. Despite offerings of forgiveness. That's why the reconciliation project failed. --- Aay bro I just can't take this anymore, fought too much for the last 5 years and put my health at risk. no more racial/colonisation arguements for NEVER!! people engage in arguements with their minds made up Colonialism never ended slavery. Even under colonialism, black we still slaves. Stop misleading people.

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--- Yes just not chained and to her we must be grateful I think that colonialism did not end slavery, it only changed its form. Today most black people in South Africa, and Africa at large, are still economic slaves of the West. The sad thing is that even those who masquerade as opponents of slavery, remain racist in their parties. Please stop!!!!! Colonialism cn never be good, it hs brought nothing but pain in Africa, civil wars, torn family structures etc… --- These people will never understand Walter, our families are torn,we cant trace our family frees as far back as they can,we have broken homes coz men were forced to work miles away from home which gave birth to men who had absent fathers then they want to label black men on stats Colonisation aided the ideology and existence of aparthied . .colonisation aided the looting of billions from the very banks we use today. Colonisation is the answer behind why indigenous people dont have any title deeds and the huge economic disparity of inequality --- And according to Hellen for this we must be grateful Colonialism helped end slavery really Helen? Colonialism replaced slavery Helen. Slavery used to take Africans from Africa but Colonialism taking Africa from Africans. Both serve same purpose to oppress us.

Colonialism was ONLY negative. Death Vs development? Have you been to the slave lodge Helen? Stop running away and writing stupid articles claiming bots are disagreeing with you. There are many actual people who don't like you, deal with it. Tweet 3 Unfortunately your victory does not bring back our land

No conversation relating to Tweets 4a, 4b, 5 and 6 in relation to this theme.

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Appendix 6: Dataset Theme 4 (A Discourse of Difference)

A Discourse of Difference Discussion 1:

a person can NEVER be greatful for paying for things that nature gave for free --- HZ23: Piping water and cleaning it and getting it into a house is not free. --- Did i say it's free? --- ~ you pretty much did actually. --- "pretty much" is a conclusion developed in ones mind as people differ with understanding --- ~ 'person can NEVER be greatful for paying for things that nature gave for free'

That's EXACTLY what she said. --- before these pipes my people were doing JUST fine bare that in mind --- Tweet 1 ~ oh so they enjoyed dying from cholera etc? Cool. --- no it's never free. Black people and minorities have to pay for it, with blood and their lives. --- and I never said piped water is free it should be actually why should I pay for something that nature gave for --- then u wud fetch that free water from a river/dam infested with dirt that would cause cholera? Discussion 2:

Oh dear, Helen... don't you know that logic and reason are surplus to requirements in this debate? --- Exactly. She's absolutely correct, but it's pointless highlighting it to this idiocracy. --- what logic? Tsek!!! Should Hitler get praised for improving the German Army etc? And infrastructure (gas chambers)

23 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment.

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Discussion 3:

Ladies and gentlemen, @helenzille taking the COLON out of colonialism! Long may she rain in Western Cape! (drought joke) --- there's actually nothing wrong about this statement! It is the FACT that not all was bad. FACT whatever was positive, wasn't for us but NOW, with democracy we lively use it @helenzille Discussion 4:

China, Japan and other countries were never colonised. We need to check if they have roads --- Very simplistic argument --- my point is without the queen we still could've roads and pipes Discussion 5:

That was not a thing in the past. It was about conquest. Did it have good side effects? Yes.Should we apologize for it? No. --- Colonialism happened, yes, as well as MANY other "conquests". That's doesn't justify ANY of them. We need to learn from them --- We have. How many other conquests do you see happening today? Not trying to justify. But colonialism had good side effects. --- Saying there were good side effects is an attempt to justify. Can use your argument regarding Auschwitz.. --- Yes you can. I don't advocate for genocide, but if it advanced medical development it still had good side effects. --- Then please hope neither you nor your family are ever caught on the flip side of that "effect" coin. --- History is cruel, the universe even more so. I refuse to pay or apologize for it-if you're born into it not a lot you can do Discussion 6: infrastructure built buy exploited black workers? --- at least we were working and earning and living, not today where you will not find work even when educated --- order chief

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Discussion 7:

Few years from now: "The killing of white farmers will be one of the benefits of black people getting their land back" right? --- Yeh, on the down side youl be hungry...... hmmmm --- Excuse you!?! Hungry where? The only reason we'd be hungry is because you took our main source of food! LAND!!! Besides that,you think we give a damn about food? Did white people bring food to Africa? Did white people even invent food? And here you are,another one hiding behind white supremacy. Get off your high horse. We never needed you!!! Guys, @[user name] seems to think that if white people left with their water pipes(development),blacks would go hungry! #DearHelenZille You know what @[user name], how about you all leave & we'll see if we go hungry. How about that? #DearHelenZille --- Hey, who will make the food (pap) then? --- The same people who did before. You're a waste of time. Bye. Discussion 8: because only your people benefited and mine never received the upper hand a black person can never be greatful for brutality --- Do u understand the word context? Discussion 9:

Majority of us blacks are still struggling as a result of colonialism. This attitude is taking us nowhere. --- Most blacks (as you call yourself) struggle due to your own doing. --- It's the other way round 90% owe their shear existence to what "Colonialism" brought them. Analyse it. --- Are you including the Colonial Boer Concentration Camps and the slavery and rape of Tanie, Oumas en sovoorts

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Discussion 10:

we will neva allow ur party to rule this country ever again. What the kcuf are u saying? --- As far as history is concerned, the DA has never been a ruling party… --- DA ruled SA as NP and segregated our country. --- No they didnt. The NP dissolved and became the NNP, while the DA was the DP pre-2000 and opposition to the NP. The NNP went into alliance with the ANC after the 2004 election, and dissolved thereafter. --- i dont care what ur saying...im saying they governed and ruled as apartheid govt. --- Denying that means you are stuck. Good luck to you. I wish you the best. --- go have a dialogue somewhere not on my TL. Discussion 11:

Gogo why haven't you deleted this? --- HZ24: It is out there. No point in deleting it. And I will have to deal with it at my DC this week. --- What DC? Slap on the wrist? That's why I will tell my family not to cast their votes for the racist DA. The party of colonial racists. --- it's still better than the cANCer... --- dumb blonde,delete that sh*t if that's not what you meant ,liar! Discussion 12:

The monster Helen is back justifying the unjustifiable. Helen Stop it everything about Apartheid & Colonialism was wrong. You live on stolen land today yet you are still arrogantly defending evil in 2018. Helen say it out loud  everything was wrong about Colonialism or Apartheid --- HZ25: You are lying. I have never justified colonialism or apartheid. On the contrary, unlike you, I spent my whole adult life fighting apartheid and trying to establish democracy in SA. --- Why fight a system that had a "positive" impact as you claim?

24 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment. 25 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment.

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--- HZ26: I have never stolen anything. My parents were refugees who came with absolutely nothing. They did not steal anything either, and worked hard for change so that everyone could be free in South Africa. --- Oa nnya msun’wako, your parents came here knowing very well how whites were given preferential treatment over natives who were nothing but glorified slaves dispossessed of their land and its resources. They were part and parcel of a system that oppressed us and participated in it --- HZ27: They did not have choices. They were trying to survive. And from the start they fought apartheid. Read my book before you make racist assumptions. --- They didn't fight for equality. They fought so they could benefit more and you're doing the same thing. How are things at Khayelitsha? --- There goes that line again “they worked hard” to achieve anything while everyone who is poor was just lazy --- Basically. She's also saying that being foreigners never stopped her parents meaning her parents worked harder than natives. As if they all were given the same opportunities. --- Theft we refer to was administered through a government policy which made a distinction between black and white. Blacks were stripped off economic means which automatically transferred wealth to whites. No hard work was necessary to accumulate more wealth thereafter --- Don't patronize us.U think we're like Maimane --- tell us more.. Why did ur forefathers come to Africa ? seeing that working hard was ur only vehicle .. We take our land back and see if working hard will get u there --- It’s amazing that white “refugees” thrive in Afrika and yet African “refugees” live in poverty in their continent� Balance me here --- Are you saying your parents never benefitted from colonialism and Apartheid in SA? Are u absolutely sure about this? --- She makes me so angry!!! --- I am tempted to say don’t let her get to you but hey! Gogo can Patronize I tell you. She’ll tell you kak now and turn to say don’t be angry I fought apartheid --- Are you for real? The poor blacks are just lazy --- Free from what, if I may ask, hellen? ---

26 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment. 27 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment.

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if there were refugees from Kenya who came here the same day as yr parents, would they have ended up with the same privileges they had? U say that like they came here to fight apartheid but you know they came with nothing knowing their lives will be better here coz of apartheid --- It was not accidental that they did not cross over to nearby England for refuge, or even France, but Apartheid South Africa. However, you shouldn't be judged on your parent's choices and therefore there should be no need for you to defend them. It is self-explanatory why many white people, refugees or not, trekked to African colonies, SA and Australia and New Zealand: PRIVILEGE. But, like I said, no need for you to be on their defence. --- YOU CANNOT STEAL ANYTHING IF YOU ARE BORN WITH EVERYTHING AT YOUR DISPOSAL.. YOU SAY YOUR PARENTS WORKED HARD FOR CHANGE BUT DID YOU SEE THEM "WORKING HARD" OR YOU WERE TOLD AND YOU NAIVELY ACCEPTED THAT SINCE IT WORKED TO YOUR ADVANTAGE ? --- The meaning of work hard is being abused by whites evertime they talk all we know is that they forced blacks to slavery working for them . --- Here is a simple way of putting it: your parents thrives on a privilege which had been acquired for all whites through a government policy enacted by a corrupt and racist apartheid regime. They did not excuse themselves but instead enjoyed the free ride --- Y'all keep explaining this to Helen like she doesn't know it. She does. This is not a stupid woman. She simply doesn't care. --- I really fail to understand how Africans vote for a party led by this lady. Not to mention those who call her party a better devil. --- I guess they vote for clean, principled government rather than corruption, lack of delivery and lies. Some prefer the former, but you live in an ANC-run province, so I presume you prefer the latter --- Beneficiaries of apartheid and racial oppression cannot be clean governors and can do nothing better in delivering services to the people they oppressed. Only a fool can think otherwise. --- You appear to have the "fool" thing completely owned, because your argument lacks any reason or logic --- Everytime a white person says "I worked really hard", I feel like vomiting... --- I work hard, if i dont, my black workers just sit around doing nothing all day..and that makes me want to vomit (from stress), because how will i get money to pay them if i have no (or low) production...but you are right next time...straight retrenchment! --- What did we do as a countree to deserve Helen and apartheid. --- We did nothing wrong, nnake @ HellenZille has gotten away with impunity for dat too long for he racist rants! --- As if white refuges were treated any different to other whites,all whites in SA enjoyed the benefits of white supremacy system; All whites were labelled Europeans&they viewed SA as little Europe in Africa,so if u were of European decent u enjoyed all privileges; Whites---Europeans

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--- Madam,Just by virtue of being white, you were born 50m ahead of everyone else in a 100m race, what you think is "hard work" is nothing compared to someone who has to start at zero. you're someone I used to respect and admire, your ignorance is painful to watch.. --- And the privilege that you enjoy as a white SA? Surely you are clever enough to know that it was deliberately constructed and conferred upon a single race. Now just by being white in a society of mixed races, you inherit such a system which dictated even your education --- Yes work hard to kill us and still our land --- lets agree that they had an unfair advantage of access to oppoturnities just by being white.Its a fact --- What were Black People in South Africa doing when White People / White Refugees in South Africa were "working so hard"? --- Why did your parents come to a country where one race (your parent’s race) oppressed the other? Why did they choose a country that gave them an unfair advantage based on the colour of the skin? --- Hard work? Africans work harder than anyone in this country and for peanuts. It's a lot of hard work motivating oneself to go to work for R1500 a month. --- My grandfather had a thriving business in Kensington (declared coloured) before he was forcibly moved eventually to Gugulethu (Ny 134-18). He lost his business and eventually his family and health. Working hard for him was not the same as working hard for white refugees. --- If there were no colonists in South Africa, would you parents have moved here? Did the fact that the colonists wanted more people like them influence your parents to be refugees in this part of the world @MmusiMaimane @Our_DA --- Aunty Hellen please Stop. Stop patronizing us. Please Stop. Please... --- A refugee wit a big mouth!!! --- So you're there when your parents arrived here? You are definite they're not advantaged by being white, like all other white folks. You're a magical child. --- It gave you a humongous advantage over millions who didn't have your skin who also worked hard and got nowhere. --- My skin helps me to be privileged..wow, now i've learn`t something new...i assume your knowledge is based on scientific facts because i don't want to go around repeating bullsh*t!!! --- Your parents enjoyed ill-secured rights and privileges. Because they did not excuse themselves they were accomplices in crime against humanity that was committed by corrupt apartheid government. You are an accomplice yourself hence your cheap defense of a corrupt system. --- Explain how they worked hard, by killing South Africans so they can remove them on their land Helen, you're really the trump of South Africa. Everytime you tweet about colonialism but still you don't see anything coming out of your racist fingers. ---

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Helen you arrived with nothing in a country that was oppressing black people .while making sure White ppl had all the advantages... you keep justifying colonialism cause u had one advantage you're white & stop reminding us that you"help"during apartheid --- Your parents and you r the Nazi German settlers who r the beneficiaries of colonial n apartheid regimes in the expense of indigenous pple. --- Tell that to the birds they might just care to believe the bile that comes from your mouth. You have a total disregard & disrespect for black people. you are proud about. Our patience is wearing thin you colonialism apologist conviction..Keep of pushing us --- You are delusional! You are a beneficiary of colonialism &apartheid.U & yr parents never fought 4anything good. In fact you were given a by line 2publish the torture&death of Cde Steve Biko because u were white when seasoned black journalists were sidelined!!UNeverFought4Freedom! --- Talking nonsense, your bloody murders parents did nothing to the pain of African child. This is the colonial queen of @Our_DA --- Define your definition of "free" in South Africa? How is black people free? --- But you and your family were not forced to slavery aka apartheid --- You'll die never being a president Zille. You're cursed --- Because of white privilege and the supremacy of white people is the reason your parents chose to come here! As for working hard, all the wealth you aquired is on the backs of the black men and women you exploited for centuries. Nxa. --- Why the hell don't you all go back to where you came from. Niyisicefe Hellen --- U are talking rubbish! U are the bloody beneficiary of apartheid system.Don't play innocent. --- Your forefathers stole and you and your likes are in possession of stolen goods that makes you a thief or you inherited stolen goods --- You are one of the land thieves, you evil colonial loving, proponent and beneficiary of apartheid! Shameless Olf Harlot! --- Why did your parents come to Africa, and SA in particular in the first place, and live a life of Whiteness, of ill-gotten White privilege? To be frank, just f*cken go back to where your parents came from? F*cken tired of you and your ilk! Looting scamming antiAfrican leeches! --- You can lie and deceive the likes of @MmusiMaimane and your other stooges and colonialism/ Apartheid apologists, but the majority of Africans are more astute and wise than you'll ever comprehend! They know who the enemy is! Mao --- So your parents came here went straight to live in Khayelisha and fought the system with nothing and you went to an all black school  wow I didn't know that --- U look very old meaning ur parents must be ancient so them fighting apartheid that only started ka '48 ke masepa fela, u guys didn't just benefit from colonisation but really enjoyed it.

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--- Helen it will be better for you and others like you to go back were you came from. This is my heart desire to see you people live Africa for good. You have caused us too much pain. The thought of you continuing to be here dispresses me. --- ur parents did not have a choices but u a beneficiary n still way better than I could in 20years --- So your immigrant parents had more opportunities and preferential treatment than natives. This just proves how systemic and deliberate the boer government was in keeping the African man and woman down. --- The reason surviving was easier for them than the natives is because they traded on their skin colour. When you move into an oppressive system, it are endorsing it Discussion 13:

I wish there was a button I could press to permanently disassociate myself from certain white people --- HZ28: Yes, you can. It is called Block. I'll help you. --- Response to Respondant 1: You're in the inner circle of whiteness, stay there and invade racists mentality. Be disruptive. Discussion 14:

Now I'm convinced, Helen has a brain eating worm in her head, no normal brain functions like this. I think her utterances are involuntary. @Our_DA my deepest condolences on Tony Leon dumping this woman on you. --- Freedom of speech, thought and expression... Perhaps?

Discussion 15:

Also introduced formal education and modern technology --- I always hate this statement that white people introduced us to education as if we were poor or unhappy without it,we were just fine without you coming and forcing your ways so we would have succeeded without you coming into our continent,we didn’t need you --- We needed formal education.yes the manner in which it was introduced to us was inhumane but that doesn't change the fact that we needed it. I am black by the way. --- What I don’t is the fact that they think without them coming to our continent ,we would have been civilized,we would have thrived and succeeded without them,I believe this ---

28 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment.

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HZ29: I agree. --- It's highly unlikely --- highly unlikely based on what. your own assessment or any form of study that? --- A few civilizations if any have developed in a vacuum,contact with the outside world is an important component in development,pluralism in the political space is another component --- I agree, my retort was when you mentioned global warming etc in relation to colonization. we have always managed natural resource sustainably even before the advent of research based/supported management. can anyone say for sure how Africa would have turned out - colonization? --- Read history, if you don't read it with emotions you'll know that Africa has a very rich history in education. The west did not initiate education --- What's formal about gullible education which seeks nothing other than to exploit the Land by oppressing its indigenous majority people? --- who needed that? Discussion 16:

We have always known Hellen Zille to be a racist. She never hid it at all. She once called blacks in Cape Town "refugees". Twitter would be a better place withoug Helen Zille trying to make herself relevant by uttering these kind of statements. You should know better --- Do you always lie about people, or only when you are prejudiced about them? Discussion 17:

Colonialism is an upgraded slavery. If @helenzille thinks colonialism was better, I'm no longer following @Our_DA . --- Read in context...she never sad it was better just that a few good things came of it..for the most part it was evil..she even says that but truth be told some form of development came from it. That is all she is saying. Discussion 18:

Tell me this is a sick joke. U mean textbooks written by white authors to twist history? Colonialism STARTED slavery in Africa. How can it have helped end it? I tell ANC suppoters that racists like Zille have a mouth bcoz ANC allowed them, including WMC. --- HZ30: The lead author of this history textbook is a black historian. Relax and understand the complexity of history. ---

29 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment. 30 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment.

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And I repeat, the lead author being "black" doesn't make your version of history correct. U can rent a darkie and publish. Nevertheless, the SA heritage publishers would disagree with your version of colonialism having ended slavery. It started it. Discussion 19:

You are a good example of why there will never be peace between races. Europeans only know violence as a means to rule. Keep up the horrible mentality. --- "Europeans only know violence as a means to rule " , seriously? Tell us about peaceful democratic rule on the African continent ! Look at all the looting , burning, destruction and killing in SA as we speak and tell us how peaceful things we are in Africa. --- All evil came here by ship. 1652. --- Nice AMG engine in your profile pic. Isn't that a creation of the evil ones who arrived by ship in 1652 ? --- Didn't know verwoed made AMG engines. My apologies coloniser. --- Not very smart are you? The Germans were also major colonizers! --- hey're not a wise people these ones. --- What is wise? Burning the train because it's late? Destroying your kids schools, clinics etc because of lack of service delivery? Destroying stadiums because a team loses. Sorry, if that's wisdom then no thanks Discussion 20:

Helen Zille, there was no slavery in Africa before colonialism stop lying!! All men are equal in an African society. Uxokela ntoni? --- HZ31: sjoe. You need to do a bit more reading about the horrific history of the evil slave trade and its genesis. --- I don't even want to hear it, there was no slavery here. You guys brought it here. From every history book I have read, I have not heard of any slave owner. In the Nguni society to be specific, all men are equal. Stop this thing of justifying the evil doings of your ancestors Discussion 21:

It wasn’t colonialism persa that ended slavery but Christianity. However, I agree that even before colonialism came to Africa, slavery was practiced in Africa. And not only in Africa but in many parts of the http://world.as we discuss slavery is ripe in Yemen for example --- Where do you get your history lessons on colonialism [User’s name]? Christianity never ended slavery, it emboldened, propped it up and justified it under the guise of bringing civilization to savage and backward Africans. It was a cunning sideshow to boost and entrench evil. ---

31 This indicates a direct response from Helen Zille to the user’s comment.

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I get my history by reading. Here is the other side of the story. --- You should visit the history of Canada's notoriously vile and repugnant residential schools that were a partnership between the church and white settlers to take the Indian out of Indigenous children and make them Christians under the most abusive sexual and violent conditions. --- I really hope you have the ability to read so that you get educated. While it’s true some Christians supported slavery, by and large the church played a huge role and not ethiest to end slavery. I read unlike you who listens to hot heads charm out lies. Look at the link below and the last paragraph http://abolition.e2bn.org/slavery_111.html … It should be me asking you where you get your history from & not you. William Wilber Force was at the fore front to end slavery. That’s why in the Christian dominated parts of the world there is no slavery while in a number of Muslim countries slavery is still very much a live. Discussion 22:

Re comments to this thread; Amazing how everyone reads just what they want to read from this tweet, but not the one thing that would educate them a little. --- You cannot educate us about what was done to us! Worse you want to tell us how to feel about it too, what's wrong with you people ? --- You are right, only you can educate yourself. Helen pointed out a great resource to start. --- Then let her go and point it out to her grand kids we will not be told what to learn about our history! --- You have completely validated my point. Discussion 23:

Interdict or no interdict. There is NOTHING good about the legacy of colonialism --- Especially Christianity brought here by colonialism. Nothing good about Christianity. --- And the schools they built and young men like Nelson Mandela they educated who later went to fight for emancipation of the black man? --- .I hope I've misunderstood you because otherwise you must be completely out of your mind!! That's like thanking someone for giving you HIV and then providing you with ARVs. 2. Are you saying that there was no other way to bring those schools to Africa except through colonialism?

Tweet 3 Discussion 24:

Hellen Zille is being treated unfairly here... If colonialism was completely negative, why some of black kids speak only English? Today they are regarded as "clever" beacuse of their pronuansation. Niyam' Yeka lo GoGo... --- Lawd have mercy did @[user name] just ask this question? Yhooooo thixo. Uloyiwe wena. That there is the problem. Why is English the first language in an African country? What African language is first language anywhere aelae in the world? Su phambana wena... ---

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Can you read @[user name]? Either what @helenzille said or what @[user name] said? She/he didn't say English should or shouldn't be "the first language in an African country"! YOU switched the words. He/she asked a simple & valid question, which apparently you are unable to respond to. --- Di our understand what I said or did you type because you have fingers? Go back and re read what I said.....and when you understand it, come back to me..... --- Speaking english is not positive but a sign of stolen African culture and languages --- Rubbish!some TB patients get grants. Must we say TB is not that bad because patients get money?pls shut up Discussion 25:

You can’t be selective about which facts you wish to recognize like her exposing Steve Biko's death, belonging to the black sash & being an anti apartheid activist. --- She was doing her job as a journalist. If she came across the Biko story and didnt write about it that would have made her a useless journo. So nothing special about her doing what she was getting paid to do. She's still racist Discussion 26:

What wrong with you we are sick and tired of listening to you and your legacy of colonialism. yeses . give us a break please maan --- Block her my dear then you don't have to see it. SIMPLE --- No i love Helen I just don't want to hear her keep talking about the legacy of colonialism that all. Discussion 27:

Perhaps the outrage was sparked because a golden thread of human rights violations runs through every 'positive' development of colonialism. Where you see beautiful infrastructure, I see the blood and lives that was lost in the most inhumane way to build that infrastructure. --- Stay away from it then --- You must be a sockpuppet or a bot. Humans dont think like you. --- humans make an effort. Successfull ones build Culture and Sophistication, always striving for greater challenge. Practically reaching for the stars. Then comes the day the Lazy look at the cost, and the barbarians plunder all. Just another curve in the chart. --- Truth!! ... Ok, you are human.

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Discussion 28:

70% of your caucus have told you to take a walk. What are you waiting for? --- So you are not interested in what is right and what is wrong. --- he's waiting for the JP letter and a copy of the "sms" she's alleged to have set. Can @Our_DA provide her these items so she can move on? #HandsOffDeLille --- If you're transparent as DA claims,please provide answers to the request she made? --- If the letter ws leaked in the media and aware of its content, why still request it? The very same politicians she accuse of supporting Smith supported her when

flowered with Mayor position ahead of other deserving @Our_DA cadres. --- Authenticity of the letter will be be questioned if she uses the leaked one better she gets it from them ---

4a and 4b Is it about authenticity or impact? The leaked letter implicates her. Therefore, she seek declaratory order on findings against her in the letter. The @Our_DA

s will respond standing by the letter or distancing themselves from the letter... Discussion 29: Tweet She will join ANC as a Premier candidate for the Western Cape she has already gained a strong following among Cape Townians --- But who in his or her right mind mind still believes in ANC let alone DA? The future belong to the youth. Mark my words this time next year she will be wearing red. --- It depends on what deal ANC gives her as she won't want to be an ordinary member should want to have a leadership role within the organisation e f f will never just give her a position as it will cause a lot of factionalism within EFF western Cape --- She's done all that can ever be done by any politician in a political life n as such don't need positions anymore. She's more concerned about her legacy. --- That's not true she is still young in politics and has a lot to offer especially nationaly she has been wasted by the DA by being Mia she should be Premier but now but old Zille is blocking her from being premier

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Discussion 30:

So what you actually want is "Special Treatment", interesting --- If DA are attacking her in public s much fair to also allow her to clear this mess in public --- She brought this into the Public not the DA. She already broke the rules then, wanting "Special Treatment" by running to the public to try get sympathy because she is being held accountable! --- Come we ve been reading of DA attacking @PatriciaDeLille in public even here on Twitter --- She started it on Facebook and in the papers! She chose to run to the public to try drum up support for "special treatment", and it seems to have managed to fool many into falling for her tricks! --- Make no difference if I do/don't think so. The INDEPENDENT auditor general believes that she is, but I guess that does not make much difference to the fact that you believe she is not guilty, because you want it to be "the innocent DeLille" vs DA to fit your propaganda narrative --- Prove her at the court, do you trust/believe KPMG findings/recommendations? I don't believe the finding of that auditor until proven in the court of law not public courts --- NOT KPMG, the Auditor General of South Africa, or do you now conveniently also not believe them? --- What are the finding and recommendations of the auditor general? DA is basing its decision to fir PDL on which report? Not the AG!! --- Maybe you should do yourself a favor and go read the full transcripts, it might just open your eyes as to what is actually going on! It sure opened mine! --- I ll wait for the court to decide on this --- But you believe she s guilt so I guess there s nothing to be scared of, she is corrupt why not ope her the case against her? Discussion 31: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/unpacked-the-8-main-accusations-against-de-lille-20180115 … Particularly look at points number 7 and 8. I think it is her autocratic manner that caused her colleagues to gather evidence against her. Pat, they don't like you. --- Another act of desperation really by the DA. There were/are good brown people in the DA who always stood for what the old DA stood for. They could have helped grow the party organically, but instead they went the ID/de Lille route and everyone conveniently forgot her origins. --- The DA has made it clear from the beginning that they were not going to fight a media war, and they have no intention of maligning De Lille in the press. As she is now doing to the DA. I dont think she is doing her own image, or that of her origins any favours.

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Discussion 32:

LET IT GO.. No matter how long a lie is sustained the truth will alway emerge!! Its time!! --- PatriciaDeLille has been very clear, she cant leave with such a dark cloud hanging over her and a scourge of allergations that are untested forms basis for her removal. Cowards only give to such bully tactics! --- I dread going into the mud with pigs. I know shell STAND I am not convinced this is the right approach!! --- Patricia is trying to show through a fair process, a Disciplinary Hearing that she's dealing with pigs. If that does not happen everyone else will believe that Patricia is the real pig on the basis of untested uncontested allegations! Discussion 33:

Withdrawn doesn't mean cleared, right? --- It means there was never a case to begin with!

--- How did you get there? She's been making k*k for months, now that she's seen the evidence she's suddenly compromising? Why? Discussion 34: Tweet 5 You've won that's all that matters, from day one you've never minced your words that you will resign once you name is cleared. --- Her name should have been cleared in the courts in front of millions is South Africans as she has been embarrassed in front of South Africans. Why give up now! So disappointed in her! -- The fact that DA withdrawn that is a victory 9n its own. Next year its elections and DA will feel the it.

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Discussion 35:

Does your resignation means you're admitting to the charges of corruption and running away from accountability? --- English never loved you I see. Charges have been dropped! --- There are reports on the public and there are still allegations against Patricia de Lille and there are court cases that DA will pursue but you are not listening to the press conference. --- The reports you're making references to would have been subjected to scrutiny in a fair Disciplinary Hearing that never happened. The case is to challenge the decision by court as DA deems there was overreach on part of courts. Its centres on so called DeLille clause. --- Tabled in the public? What are you on about? Anyone from DA who say Aunty Phat is corrupt would be acting outside party line. Anyone outside DA would engaged in pathetic political posturing. What you've just described is exactly that, the DeLille clause! --- Are you a DA member? I would be concerned if I was member and you said you were. The De Lille clause is the recall clause. The one she took DA to court with and the DA clause are two different things. --- I despise DA. But have followed on this DeLille matter with keen interest. --- Can you read properly? --- Do you apply your mind when reading or you just accept what you're told? The fact that the charges are dropped does not clear your name. The DA court case still continues as per the current interview by Mmusi. --- I think you have no capability to think which is why you want people to keep quiet. But it is understandable when you have subcontracted your thinking to Smith. --- It is you who cannot think... --- I am glad that I can't think. Because logic tells me that this is not over. Oh! And how on earth can the Bowman report that said Dr Lille is guilty of misconduct is still going to be tabled in CT in few weeks time by Smith. And yet DA said they have dropped the charges. Silly me --- Yep, silly

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Discussion 36:

You have fought gallantly Aunty and have left Mayorship on your own terms. You've achieved your gown objective and set a new standard: No one must be be removed from office on the basis of spurious untested allegations. Your integrity remains intact. Salute! --- Left on her own terms after seeing the evidence... --- Rubbish. Charges have been withdrawn by DA after she's agreed to the date set for the Disciplinary Hearing! --- Or, she saw the evidence and they made a deal. --- That she or I seen or hadn't is neither nor there. Irrelevant. So called evidence is supposed to be form part of a Disciplinary Hearing, that isn't gonna happen cause DA decided to withdraw charges against Aunty Phat! --- Nope, if it informed her decision it's obviously not irrelevant, especially if their withdrawal of the charges was based on her decision. --- Her decision to resign from Mayorship was made by her a while ago. Are you the only one who doesn't know that? --- You're just making stuff up now, if that was the case she could have resigned long ago, under exactly the same conditions. The only thing that has changed is that she has seen the evidence. --- Fact1:The interview on Radio 702 Patricia has with Eusibius. She clearly said she's resign once she's cleared her name. Fact2 It was your pathetic DA that realised its bully tactics and untested allegations won't force Patricia to resign that DA decided to withdraw charges. --- 1. How has she cleared her name? The council investigation is ongoing. 2. If you honestly believe they called her and said 'We're dropping the charges' and then she said 'Cool, I'm resigning but I want to stay until October', then you're pretty naive. --- You're the fool. Mmusi provided the line of march for DA & the DA council will honour it. That line of march is as per that press conference yesterday. It's rather fortunate for DA that it's not run by small minded people like yourself cause that would have been it's demise. --- Listen Genius, maybe do some research before you publicly embarrass yourself. The City of Cape Town investigation is ongoing, so is the Bowman Gilfillan investigation, the DA only withdrew internal disciplinary proceedings, they have no control over the other investigations. --- I give up. I suppose I can't cure your stupidity

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Discussion 37:

Lies they did not charge you because you resigned. By the saying they did not have evidence is the ultimate giveaway for crooks. --- She didn't resign as DA member but as a Mayor, of course if DA has evidence they'll have continue with the DC, stop being stupid, #DeLille is the BOSS. --- So it's rational in your mind that she will walk away from a job, without clearing her name? --- Clear her from which charge? DA withdraw their own charges what must Patricia herself from? --- So she resigned because the DA didn't have a case against her? Does that make sense to you? --- Its clear you didn't listen to her reasons, go find her statement atleast Discussion 38:

But she still hasn't cleared her name, has she? ---

Tweet 6 She can't clear her name because there is no charges against her --- Yes, but she challenged the DA to "public hearing" to clear her name, however that didn't happen and she agreed to resign. --- She was ready for hearing which was scheduled to take place this week. --- And she then decided to "agree" to resign. So both her and the DA haven't cleared anything. --- She always said she will resign once her name is cleared, since there is no charges against her, it was appropriate thing to resign...... she no longer has to clear herself because there is no CASE against her. De Lille is a victim of RACISM in DA. Discussion 39:

Respect for you Patricia , putting the country first. --- She hasn't put the country 1st. She just sacrificed and compromised already damage/dented DA image. But is a too late. Damage is already be done

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Discussion 40:

The question to answer or not to answer, deal or no deal, why don’t you do the public that you declare to serve so vermently and avidly, come clean and take us into you confidence. If you answer openheartedly and honestly we will know the real truth. “DID YOU SEND THE SMS”? --- The burden of proof lies with the one making the allegation! --- It’s not an allegation, a sms was sent from Ms De lilles phone, the answer should be a simple YES or NO. This is not a court of law but a question from a citizen to Ms De Lille.

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Appendix 7: Letter to DA

The below letter was sent to the DA to inform the party of the use of Twitter screenshots. This was done with respect to the organisation as the two individuals under study, is (and in the case of De Lille, was) related to the DA. The Tweets were done in the personal capacity of the politician so the letter to the DA was not to seek ethical clearance as this is not necessary for public domain content. The letter was emailed to:

 [email protected] – retrieved from DA website  [email protected] – retrieved from DA website  [email protected] (spokesperson for the Western Cape Government) – retrieved from Western Cape Government website

28 January 2019

To whom it may concern: Democratic Alliance and Department of the Premier Western Cape Government

Notice of using Twitter Posts in Research Study for the fulfilment of a Master’s of Arts in Strategic Communication Faculty of Humanities, School of Communication, Department of Strategic Communication at University of Johannesburg

Title of Study Political Parties and Organisational Reputation: Analysing Discourse on Twitter about Scandals Relating to the Democratic Alliance (DA)

Researcher Elzanne Amao [email protected] 076 928 4041

Introduction I will be using screenshots of seven Tweets from Twitter in my dissertation relating to Patricia De Lille (former DA member and City of Cape Town mayor) as well as Helen Zille (DA member and Premier of the Western Cape)

Research Aim The aim of this research is to examine how public discourse on Twitter amongst stakeholders influences the reputation of the Democratic Alliance following two political scandals within the party.

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Description of the Study Procedures I am contacting you to inform you of my intention to use screenshots of these Tweets (below) in my dissertation. The Tweets of any user whose profile is public and not set to private (a setting which allows the user’s Tweets and profile details to be hidden from public view barring those users that the has been accepted into the user’s network), is subjected to Twitter’s Terms of Service (2018) which state under section 3, “Content on the Services”:

“By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed). This license authorizes us to make your Content available to the rest of the world and to let others do the same”.

For the use of my study I seek to copy, publish, display and distribute the content under the license of Twitter’s Terms of Service (2018) allowing me to do so.

Tweets that will be used

Tweet 5: @helenzille, 2017, March 15

Tweet 6: @helenzille, 2018, April 21

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Tweet 7: @helenzille, 2018, July 17

Tweet 8a: @PatriciaDeLille, 2018, May 3a

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Tweet 4b: @PatriciaDeLille, 2018, May 3b

Tweet 5: @PatriciaDeLille, 2018, August 5a

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Tweet 6: @PatriciaDeLille, 2018, August 5b

Risks/Discomforts of Being in this Study There are no reasonable foreseeable or expected risks. There may be unknown risks.

Payments You will not receive payment/reimbursement for the use of this public domain property. Reference will be made to the Tweets in accordance to The University of Johannesburg’s guidelines to the Harvard Referencing Method.

If you have any concerns that occur as a result of the use of this public domain property, you can contract me on the email address provided.

Kind Regards

Elzanne Amao