ActionSA Leader Herman Mashaba Retracts Old Post About Helen Zille: “I Was Deceived”

• The president of ActionSA, Herman Mashaba, took back the praise he bestowed upon Democratic Alliance Federal Chairperson Helen Zille
• Tshwane's former Mayor Cilliers Brink posted a screenshot of Mashaba's old tweet where he said Zille was not a racist
• He reshared Brink's post and said he was deceived, and South Africans shared their opinions

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliament and Parliamentary committees, politician-related news, and elections at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

JOHANNESBURG — ActionSA president Herman Mashaba changed his views about the Democratic Alliance's Federal Chairperson Helen Zille. He said he was deceived into holding the views he once did in the past.

Herman Mashaba retracts Zille praise

Mashaba responded on his @HermanMashaba X account to a tweet former Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink shared. Brink shared a tweet Mashaba posted in 2019 where he praised Zille. He said that in the years he has known Zille and read about her life, anyone calling her a racist was a racist. He also said she's one of those in South Africa he holds with the highest esteem and is proud of her.

Mashaba reshared Brink's tweet on 10 June 2025 and said that he was misled by her posture.

"I officially retract this view of Helen Zille. I unreservedly apologise for thinking the way I did then," he said.

View the X tweet here:

Mashaba also opposed Zille's desire to become the mayor of Johannesburg. He said he found it strange that Zille was considered a successful mayor. He said Zille carries Verwoerdian ideology. He said Zille holds racist views and accused her of saying that black people were unreliable and incapable of leading.

What you need to know about Herman Mashaba

• Mashaba berated Elon Musk in February 2025 after United States President Donald Trump withdrew all aid from South Africa and accused him of influencing Trump
• Mashaba and Sports, Art and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie roasted each other on social media in February
• Mashaba slammed protesters who gathered outside the Pretoria embassy in February and called them traitors
• South Africans accused him of being a flip-flopper after he said he would consider joining the Government of National Unity
• The ActionSA president blasted the government for spending over R3 billion on foreign missions

South Africans question his retraction

Netizens on X mostly questioned his retraction and called him out.

Lorraine said:

"This retraction is nothing more than a weak attempt to cover up a major flip-flop and it reeks of political opportunism."

Donald Davhie said:

"There are so many words to describe the type of man you are."

Stickstrews said:

"That's beyond embarrassing, and the main reason why you're such a joke in SA politics."

Anduril said:

"A true politician. Your beliefs are whatever is required to get votes even if it changes by the hour."

Moss said:

"You can't be a politician if you're not a flip-flopper. In a minute, you say something, and the next, something opposite of what you just said."

What you need to know about Helen Zille

Helen Zille is a prominent South African politician. Since 20 October 2019, she has served as Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA). She previously held several key political positions, including Premier of the Western Cape from 2009 to 2019, and Mayor of Cape Town from 2006 to 2009. She also served as the Federal Leader of the DA from 2007 to 2015 and was a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.

Before entering politics, Zille was a journalist and anti-apartheid activist. While working for the Rand Daily Mail in the late 1970s, she played a crucial role in uncovering the cover-up surrounding the death of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko.

ActionSA gives Gwede Mantashe ultimatum to recover the Lily Mine victims

In a related article, Briefly News reported that ActionSA gave Mining and Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashe 60 days on 12 May 2025 to retrieve the bodies of the miners who died at the Lily Mine. The miners were trapped underground in Basrberton, Mpumalanga, and died in 2016.

The party said the government had until 60 days to propose a process to retrieve the bodies of the three dead miners. However, some South Africans believed that the party was using the Lily Mine tragedy for political points.

Source: Briefly News