Helen Zille, the leader of South Africa’s main opposition party the Democratic Alliance and presumptive Premier of the Western Cape has engaged in a war of words with ANC Youth League president Julius Malema calling him a disgrace to the country.

She said this in response to Malema’s recent comments calling her a “racist girl”. Speaking to the South African newspaper Daily News she said she would not be taking legal action over the comments which were made at a May Day ANC rally in Lindelani, north of Durban.

"That girl in the Western Cape should know that she will be premier and that Jacob Zuma will be her boss. She is expected to report to him and address Zuma as 'my president'. All of them including those who fired Zuma should start addressing Zuma as Mr President," said Malema, who was one of the speakers at May Day celebrations.

Other leaders, including Inkatha leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, were not spared Malema's wrath. "Those who are used to rigging elections did not win this province. Zweli Mkhize will be the premier of Mangosuthu Buthelezi and his children. Buthelezi is now in a crisis because we have buried the IFP alive," he said.

In the recent past Malema has likened Zille to an apartheid spy. While the DA leader hit back and called Malema an "inkwenkwe", a Xhosa term used to refer to an uncircumcised boy.