Social media found itself ablaze following a heated exchange between Anele Mdoda and Democratic Alliance politician Helen Zille.
On Monday, the former party leader visited the 947 breakfast club to discuss her highly controversial unveiling as the DA’s mayoral candidate for the City of Joburg in the upcoming 2026 election.
While the sole intent of the interview was firmly based on addressing some of the misconceptions many have about Helen, who currently occupies the role as Chairperson of the Federal Council, and the scrutiny she previously faced for not giving younger candidates an opportunity, things quickly got heated between the award-winning presenter and the politician.
In one part of the interview, Anele questioned the 74-year-old on some concerns black people might have about her running for mayor, emphasising that while she truly believes Helen to be qualified to occupy the position as mayor, she does believe that black people might struggle to see her making decisions in the interest of improving their quality of life.
In response, the former Cape Town mayor asked: “Anele, when were you elected as the spokesperson for black people? You weren’t.”
The charismatic Anele later added, “You are on Twitter (now X) everyday. You see what people say about you, babe! People don’t trust you to have the interest of black people at heart.”
The politician then criticised the presenter for making baseless assumptions on behalf of an entire race, further pointing out that remarks on social media platforms are not a true reflection of how voters truly feel.
“Twitter is not the voter’s roll,” she frustratingly corrected.
The interview later concluded with Helen highlighting her desire to answer questions from listeners, to which Anele sarcastically responded, “Next time, when you are on time, you can answer some serious questions from our listeners.”
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Meanwhile, social media has since had mixed reviews following the interview, with some criticising Anele for being unprofessional.
“Is Anele really a journalist or is she a person with a vendetta?” asked one user, while another added, “I’m black. I’d vote for Helen. What is Anele on about?”
Others, however, felt that the race was well represented by the radio and television personality and gladly welcomed her speaking on their behalf.
“Anele is my spokesperson. We will reject the DA again. They will learn,” commented another.
Also see: Helen Zille kicks off Randall Abrahams’ gritty new podcast
