Omphitlhetse Mooki
JOHANNESBURG: It started with a seven-character tweet and two days on it had escalated into a racial row that invoked the spirit of the architect of apartheid – Hendrik Verwoerd.
As the nation bade farewell to slain footballer Senzo Meyiwa at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, Idols judge and radio personality Gareth Cliff tweeted his disapproval of Meyiwa’s official provincial funeral.
“Who’s paying for this massive funeral for #Senzo Meyiwa?,” tweeted Cliff.
And while he fielded what he called “the wrath of black twitter” throughout the weekend, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula unleashed his own missile yesterday, practically calling Cliff a racist.
“He is suffering from Verwoerd hangover. Country mourning and Gareth talking like that as if he doesn’t know,” Mbalula tweeted, a post he later deleted from his timeline.
Cliff defended his stance, asking “why is it rude to ask who’s paying for Senzo’s funeral?”.
“Senzo has one of the biggest non-political funerals in SA history and I’m insensitive for asking questions,” he tweeted.
Mbalula’s spokesman, Anda Bici, said he had not seen the tweet when contacted at 7.30pm yesterday.
“I’ll check it... can you call me in an hour’s time,” Bici said.
Writing on his blog last night, Cliff said his question was driven by the fact that he had never seen a non-politician being accorded such an “extraordinary” funeral.