Malema: Twitter is 'entirely divorced from reality'
6 July 2019
He has 2.4 million followers on Twitter and often uses his account to respond to current affairs, but EFF leader Julius Malema has finally admitted that the social media platform does not reflect the real world.
"I also hasten to point out that Twitter is entirely divorced from reality: I know for a fact that the EFF won nearly every 'poll' conducted on Twitter in the run-up to the elections. It ultimately lost the elections and came third," Malema wrote in his affidavit to defend a hate speech lawsuit brought against the EFF and its leader by the South African National Editors' forum (SANEF) and five journalists.
"Despite a better performance than in 2014, the 'Twitter world' result did not translate into the real world. This, also, with respect, should give the court proper perspective insofar as the complainants are concerned," Malema argues.
The complainants are Sunday Times associate editor Ranjeni Munusamy, News24 editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson, Daily Maverick journalist Pauli van Wyk, Vrye Weekblad editor Max du Preez and Eyewitness News journalist Barry Bateman.