The Democratic Alliance has removed a controversial billboard it erected next to the N2, near Riverhorse Valley, which accused eThekwini officials of enabling a "water tanker mafia". The billboard, which read "You can stop water tanker mafia. Vote DA for water in your taps," was taken down after the municipality's attorneys issued a letter of demand, objecting to the content and the harm it caused to the dignity and reputation of those depicted.
The city accused the DA of portraying three of its senior officials as being involved in criminal activity, and the municipality's spokesperson, Senzelwe Mzila, confirmed that the DA removed the billboard after receiving the letter of demand. Mzila stated that the context of the billboard caused harm to the dignity and reputation of those depicted, including the mayor, city manager, and executive director, and demanded its immediate removal.
The DA's eThekwini mayoral candidate, Haniff Hoosen, however, accused officials in the city of being scared to take accountability, stating that the city did not want the public to see a billboard that exposed the city's water tanker mafia. Hoosen claimed that the city had chosen to fight the billboard with legal action and "defend its incompetence," rather than spending money on fixing the water pipes.
City manager Musa Mbhele stated that the billboard sought to tarnish the reputation and dignity of individuals who carried a public duty to serve the residents of eThekwini. Mbhele welcomed the removal of the billboard, saying that those who serve the city must be allowed to discharge their responsibilities with integrity intact, and that robust political contestation must not descend into defamation.
The municipality remains committed to transparency and accountability, and encourages all parties to raise concerns about service delivery or governance through proper and lawful channels. This is not the first time the DA has been involved in a controversy surrounding billboards, having withdrawn posters in Phoenix in 2021 that declared "The ANC called you racists" and "The DA calls you heroes."
In 2019, the party had to remove another billboard that said "The ANC is killing us" after it was found to be offensive. The ANC accused the party of running a dirty campaign and warned that it would take the matter to the Electoral Court. The DA's billboard was seen as exposing the city's water crisis, with Hoosen stating that the water tankers mafia in eThekwini raked in hundreds of millions of rands from taxpayer's money.
The choice in the upcoming election is between taps or tankers, according to Hoosen, who claimed that the DA's billboard exposed the officials who failed to prevent the water crisis in Durban. The city welcomes the removal of the billboard, and the municipality's attorneys will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the dignity and reputation of its officials are protected.
Key points
- The Democratic Alliance removed a billboard accusing eThekwini officials of enabling a "water tanker mafia" after the municipality's attorneys demanded its removal.
- The city accused the DA of portraying three of its senior officials as being involved in criminal activity.
- The DA's eThekwini mayoral candidate, Haniff Hoosen, accused officials in the city of being scared to take accountability.
