ANC Slams Helen Zille Over Anti-Trans Comments

The ANC in the Western Cape has criticised Helen Zille for her transphobic remarks and accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of hypocrisy for failing to hold her accountable.

Last month, Zille, the Chairperson of the DA’s Federal Council, joined JK Rowling in publicly welcoming the recent UK Supreme Court ruling that excludes transgender women from the legal definition of “woman” under that country’s Equality Act.

She described transgender rights as a “contagion” worse than Covid-19, claimed they pose a danger to women’s rights, and asserted that trans identities are merely “trendy” and comparable to eating disorders.

ANC Labels Zille’s Comments “Rogue Behaviour”

On Thursday, ANC member of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, Nomi Nkondlo, condemned Zille’s comments during a statement in the house, describing them as “rogue behaviour”.

“This hateful vitriol against trans women is testimony of how Helen Zille and [her] DA ilk are disgustingly hypocritical,” said Nkondlo.

“Helen Zille has always been associated with far-right views, and as a blue-eyed maGogo, she is not reined in by her own party, which falsely purports to be an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, including as a partner and funder of Cape Town Pride.”

DA’s Silence Raises Concerns Ahead of World Pride

Nkondlo also pointed out that while the DA-run City of Cape Town is set to host World Pride in 2028, “we have such a leader with a very warped view of gender equality in modern times.”

She told MambaOnline that she made the statement in the legislature “in disgust” at Zille’s statements “and the silence in her circles of DA as a party that purports to be liberal and champion of all rights, but yet allow their Federal Chairperson to unashamedly post such misogynistic views.”

The DA — South Africa’s second-largest political party — has so far refused to respond to calls from activists and the transgender community to denounce Zille’s comments, maintaining silence on the matter.

Notably, South Africa’s mainstream media has largely ignored the controversy, instead focusing on Zille’s recent participation in a televised “roast”, set to air on DStv’s Showmax.