Western Cape Premier Helen Zille was formally charged on Wednesday with bringing the Democratic Alliance into disrepute and damaging the party.

DA federal committee chairman James Selfe confirmed that formal charges had been laid regarding her public views on colonialism‚ reported News24.

TimesLIVE reported earlier this month that Zille would face disciplinary action for her tweets about colonialism. “The charge against Ms Zille is that she has allegedly violated the party’s federal constitution by acting in a manner which has brought the party into disrepute‚ ” DA leader Mmusi Maimane said at the time.

Zille tweeted last month: “For those claiming legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative‚ think of our independent judiciary‚ transport infrastructure‚ piped water‚ etc.”

“Would we have had a transition into specialised healthcare and medication without colonial influence? Just be honest‚ please‚” she wrote in a second tweet.

Maimane responded in a tweet‚ “Let’s make this clear: Colonialism‚ like Apartheid‚ was a system of oppression and subjugation. It can never be justified.”

Zille has since apologised.