Helen Zille abandons Twitter account

Helen Zille announced in a seven-part thread on Twitter that she will close her account after her granddaughter received "grotesque treatment" on the social media platform.

A thread 1) After the grotesque treatment of my grand-daughter on Twitter ydy, I am closing this account. I say goodbye to some of my followers, and good riddance to the haters, bots and sock-puppets that constitute such a large percentage of my 1,4-million plus followers.

— Helen Zille (@helenzille) February 17, 2020

She also announced that she'll be using a private account where she will only approve and interact with followers interested in "rational debate." Zille believes Twitter has degenerated into a platform for irrationality and mob-lynching.

Read the seven-part thread here.