Twitter has explained the reasons behind the temporary suspension of EFF leader and political controversy machine Julius Malema’s handle as the party leader violated its policies.
Malema was likely suspended for a post he tweeted out, warning President Cyril Ramaphosa that the EFF would join in the current unrest if soldiers were deployed to support law enforcement in the country.
“No soldiers on our streets! Otherwise, we are joining. All fighters must be ready… they won’t kill us all. We need a political solution to a political problem, not soldiers,” his post stated.
Read also:Every Digital Business Needs a Data Strategy
Twitter would have an issue with this post due to its message of joining the ongoing violence, which goes against its rules on the propagation of violent activities.
“We have determined that you have violated Twitter rules, so we’ve temporarily limited some of your account features,” reads the notification sent to Malema by Twitter, shared by the EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
Dear @Twitter Don’t Silence Voices That Are Calling For A Political Solution To Politics Problems As Opposed To Violence & Massacres. Your Suspension Of This Account Gives Advantage To Bloodthirsty Racist Killers In South Africa With No Regard For Black Lives. #BlackVoicesMatter — Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi). Ndlozi commented on the temporary suspension with on-brand rhetoric.
Read also:Nigeria bans Twitter – and shoots itself in the foot
Malema has built a career on his fiery and contentious commentary, with EFF supporters flocking in droves to bask in his magnetic cult of personality. Even on Twitter, his over 3 million followers seemingly await to see just what the man will say next.
His recent comments on the #ShutdownSA riots, however, seemed to have finally found him in social media jail. Twitter had suspended his posting – not allowing Malema to tweet, retweet, create fleets, follow accounts, or like posts. The total time of the suspension was just under 12 hours.
Read also:Nigeria bans Twitter – and shoots itself in the foot
However, the suspension has been lifted and Malema has since been retweeting videos of the unrest that propagate the EFF’s narrative.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry