Twitter users support Tutu over Dalai Lama
2011-10-05 10:26
Johannesburg - Prominent SA celebrities, media personalities and politicians took to social networking site Twitter on Wednesday to express their opinions and disappointment with the cancelled Dalai Lama visit.
"Ban the Dalai Lama, ban reporter Deon de Lange from parliament. Ban, ban, ban. Who do you think you are - Ban ki Moon [United Nations secretary general]?" wrote journalist Max du Preez.
He also said earlier: "Just had breakfast with senior Western diplomat. Says no doubt SA could have allowed Dalai Lama with only few grumbles from Beijing."
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader cancelled his trip on Tuesday because he was not granted a visa in time. He was planning to attend Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's 80th birthday.
Tutu, in reaction to the government's "failure" to grant Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama a visa to visit the country, said South Africans would pray for the downfall of the ANC.
Humour
"We will pray as we prayed for the downfall of the apartheid government. We will pray for the downfall of a government that misrepresents us," Tutu shouted at a news briefing in Cape Town.
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille posted on twitter in support of Tutu.
"Pray by all means - and vote!" she tweeted.
" 'We will pray for your downfall.' Turning-point has just arrived. Ndebele, Tutu, Tutu, Ntsebeza..." City Press editor Ferial Haffajee posted.
Earlier in the month she posted: "How can we not give a visa to the Dalai Lama? Mandela's South Africa? Tutu's South Africa? Maybe we aren't that anymore... make a noise!"
Business Day editor Peter Bruce tweeted: "Govt complains Dalai Lama 'only' applied for visa on Sept 20. What takes so long? I applied for a Cuban visa last month. It took a day."
Nelson Mandela's personal assistant Zelda la Grange tweeted in response to 5FM DJ and SA Idol's judge Gareth Cliff: "@GarethCliff thank goodness for #idolsSA finals so we can be distracted from this Dalai Lama embarrassment!"
"Sad that Dalai Lama visa saga will take away from the conviction with which Arch deserves to be celebrated at 80. He'll only turn 80 once," she posted earlier.
Satirical politician and media personality Evita Bezuidenhout added humour to the controversy.
"Never had a problem with Red China. Looks lovely on a white tablecloth. But if they insult Tutu and the Lama, I will have to change my mind," Tannie Evita posted.
Radio 702 presenter Kieno Kammies tweeted: "The pimple on the bum of Africa, Mugabe is allowed in, but not the dalai lama eish!!!!! The revolution has fallen flat on its face."
- SAPA