SA's Chief Bully threatens to bring down Twitter Empire

Think David and Goliath. Except David was clever!

By Daniel Howden, Africa correspondent

A score of new Twitter accounts lampooning Julius Malema are popping up online after the leader of the youth league of South Africa's ruling ANC called for the micro-blogging service to be closed.

The serial controversialist complained this week that he was being targeted by Twitter impersonators who were distorting his image. The ANC youth league issued a grammatically bizarre statement calling for the "closer" of Twitter on Wednesday, which was quickly filleted by critics who then distributed it online.

The league's notoriously bad spelling led one reporter Malema had called "bloody bastard" at a news conference, to reply on the blogging site: "ANCYL statement called for 'closer of Twitter' following 'cretation' of fake accounts. Was that so we'd know it was the real Malema?"

Fake accounts of famous people offering phoney Tweets known as "Phweets" have become a mainstay of Twitter, prompting the blogging service to offer the option of officially verifying who's who. But the sensitive ANCYL launched a tirade signed by the league's spokesman Floyd Shuvambu.

Floyd the Maverick lashed out at all the online Juju-haters.

"There are computer hackers who have created twitter accounts in the name of the President [the prince-ling not HRH Msholozi] and recurrently posting misleading messages [sic]."

"The ANCYL has in [sic] more than one occasion reported these impersonators and hackers, yet no action has been taken against them by the Twitter administrators. [What? Bloody agents!] We will now approach the relevant authorities to report these hackers and call for the closer [Closure, perhaps? Or do you really want Twitter closer?] of Twitter, if its administrators are not able to administer reports for violation of basic human rights and integrity."

Ah yes, because it worked so well when you tried to shut down Nando's. And Nedbank. And "the cockroach" Zille.

The mockery that followed online prompted @Floyd_Shivambu's to tweet back: "Stop mocking my spelling. When we close Twitter you won't be laughing anymore." This was replied to by @TheJuliusMalema, who tweeted: "Don't you come heer to my internet with your white tendencies." After which Mr Shivambu replied: "I will tell our President it is worse than we thought."

"We'll trace them… that is very possible to do," said the guy who couldn't seem to understand that an email address is all it takes to set up a Twitter account. "We don't want to expose our strategy on how we will get them [largely because we haven't figured it out yet]. But we will get them and we are going to report them to the police."

Ah, yes, because that worked so well with PigSpotter.

Of course, a little tongue-lashing never did deter the kiddies club. Their retort on discovering that angry threats were followed by even more online mocking was… well… predictable.

Followed by the obligatory racism: "We are sure, when they get exposed, you will see it is white people. Reactionary, rightwing, white people."

Floyd sees white people. It's a sixth sense. It goes without saying that they are all rightwing racists. Unfortunately it prevents him from seeing blacks also use computers and laugh at antics of bumbling idiots.

By yesterday, new Malema accounts were flourishing online. "Juju Malema" was fairly typical of the tone, introducing its author by asking: "Who do you think you are? Are you not aware that I am Julius, the president of the ANC Youth League? I know some of you hate me."

Malema's abrasive manner and brash lifestyle –his luxury cars and exclusive night-clubbing are routinely dismissed as evidence of continuing racism – has made him a hero to some in South Africa and a jester to many.

Press freedom is under serious attack in the Rainbow Nation. Two major pieces of legislation are being considered which would give the government sweeping powers to silence outlets it does not like and criminalise much investigative journalism.

Malema's political importance has been underlined recently as the leadership backed down over its effort to discipline him for publicly contradicting party positions. Zuma faces a possible leadership challenge in the next year and seems unwilling to offend the youth wing or its outspoken leader.

The fake tweets

@Julius_Malema Not doing anything today because I am still babalaas. Eish.

@Julius_Malema @Floyd_Shivambu we need to change the words to "shoot the tweeter" in our favourite song!

@JMalema_TWIT_iR Zuma want me to go to political school, mmm let me think NO I hate doing wood work!!

Source - www.independent.co.uk/
http://news.iafrica.com/