Helen Zille speaks out against criticism of DA virtual rally performance medley and dancing

The chairperson of the DA’s federal council, Helen Zille, has defended the dancing featured in one of the performance videos from the party’s virtual rally. Picture: Screengrab

The chairperson of the DA’s federal council, Helen Zille, has defended the dancing featured in one of the performance videos from the party’s virtual rally. Picture: Screengrab

Published May 24, 2021

Share

Cape Town - The chairperson of the DA’s federal council, Helen Zille, has defended the dancing featured in one of the performance videos from the party’s virtual rally.

The DA hosted its first national virtual rally in the run-up to this year’s local government elections.

The “Time for Change” rally, which the party touted as the biggest virtual political rally held in this country, included addresses from the DA leadership and performances by local artists.

During the virtual rally, DA leader John Steenhuisen said his party was prepared for the local government elections set to take place on October 27.

“We started our preparations a long time ago, when others were still asleep, and we are ready to take our message to South Africans in every community across the country.

“Our public representatives are standing by. Our activists are standing by. Our staff members are standing by.

’’We know this won’t be a normal campaign, but nothing this past year has been normal. And the DA has risen to the challenge, consistently, like no other party,” Steenhuisen said.

He said his party had done its homework, built up momentum and was now ready to take on the ANC in municipalities across the country and to defend the municipalities they controlled.

Although the DA proclaimed Saturday’s virtual rally, to which 11 000 viewers logged in, a success, South Africans on Twitter couldn’t help but weigh-in on a moment that caused a lot of chatter. It wasn’t a particular speech, but a performance sequence.

Andriëtte Norman, the runner-up to Jodi Williams in the fourth season of Idols SA and who has gone on to have a successful career in the Afrikaans music scene, performed a medley of local hits.

Norman started with Mango Groove’s Dance Sum More, moved into Kurt Darren’s Kom Bietjie Hie and ended with “Jerusalema by Master KG.

The performance, which was shot in Cape Town at the Civic Centre, caught the attention of many on Twitter because of the dancing that was on display throughout.

— Lewis Hamilton’s fiancé (@ThabileSefala) May 23, 2021
— #TshikaRigombo_MK (@MhlavaD_Mk) May 23, 2021
— Raspoestin (@Nincanpoopy) May 23, 2021
— NELISIWE ≠Neliswe≠Nelisiswe≠Nelisiwa (@NeliMsomi) May 23, 2021

Zille defended the performance against criticism, saying that she “loved it and so did many others”.

She said she preferred Norman’s version, as “she can move her body”, and Mango Groove’s YouTube version was “really pitiful in comparison”.

— Helen Zille (@helenzille) May 23, 2021
— Helen Zille (@helenzille) May 23, 2021

Other performers at the virtual rally were Early B and Emo Adams.

Cape Argus