Helen Zille embraced the jabs thrown at her
DA federal council chair Helen Zille has revealed that she would have turned down the opportunity to be the guest of honour at the 2025 Showmax Roast if her mother were still alive, citing her mother’s sensitivity to public criticism.
The event, part of the Laugh Africa Comedy Festival, took place at the Sandton Convention Centre in May and is set to premiere on Showmax this Friday.
Zille reflected on how deeply her mother internalised negative remarks directed at her, even more than Zille did herself.
“She suffered every time someone said something nasty about me,” she shared. “I’d say, ‘Mom, this is politics,’ but she’d take it so personally. She used to say I was too sensitive for politics, but the truth is she was too sensitive for me to be in politics.”
Her mother passed away in 2015, before the rise of social media criticism.
“I’m actually relieved she never had to witness the social media era; I don’t think she would’ve survived it. I’m glad she lived in a time when the worst things people said about me were only in newspapers,” she added.
Interestingly, Zille admitted that when she initially agreed to the Roast, she had no idea what it actually entailed.
“I thought, ‘That’s like a Sunday lunch, sure!’ It sounded like an invitation to a roast chicken. So, I said yes. Only later did I realize it was something else entirely,” she laughed.
The panel who took jabs at her featured a mix of entertainers and politicians, including Tumi Morake, Trevor Gumbi, Loyiso Gola, and Patricia de Lille.
Zille described them as dynamic individuals who know how to give and take a jab with flair, adding that she respects them for being provocative and impactful.
She also confessed her unfamiliarity with some of the other names on the lineup, particularly reality stars like Mel Viljoen and Londie London.
“I don’t know if they’re from Desperate Housewives or The Real Housewives. I know nothing about that world, so that’ll be new for me,” she admitted.
The idea of being roasted was initially met with disbelief by her sons.
“When I told my sons, they said, ‘Ma, do you even know what a Roast is?’ And I had to admit, ‘No, I don’t. What is it?’” she recalled.
“They were like, ‘Ma, are you crazy? You’re putting yourself out there for a toasting!’”
Though they tried to prepare her by sending past Roast videos, Zille admitted the humour didn’t quite land for her.
“Honestly, I couldn’t even understand them. I didn’t know what was funny about them! I thought, ‘I can never be like this, I don’t even get the jokes.’ But eventually they said, ‘Well, Ma, if you want to do mad things, go ahead.’”
Despite her initial confusion, Zille took the experience in stride, saying she’s used to harsh commentary in the public sphere.
“So much has happened in my life. I’ve been battered from every angle, cancelled countless times. If you look at my social media timeline, people are constantly being rude and carrying on. It just doesn’t bother me any more.”