‘The people of Gauteng need practical interventions, infrastructure investment, and accountability, not billboard politics,’ says Cosatu chairperson in Gauteng.
The ANC and its ally, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), have moved quickly to slam the DA for using Panyaza Lesufi’s controversial remarks to dissuade South Africans from voting for the ANC in the local government elections later this year.
Following a media briefing on Johannesburg’s ongoing water crisis in February, Premier Panyaza Lesufi faced public backlash for saying he had sometimes resorted to showering at a hotel when taps ran dry, a remark many residents viewed as out of touch amid widespread outages.
“In some instances, I had to go to a certain hotel so that I could go to my commitment,” said Lusufi at the time.
“We also go through the same inconvenience like any other person; there is no special water or a special pipe that is designed to service other people and not service other people.
“Our families, our relatives, ourselves, our constituencies, they suffer the same pain. We do not have water when communities do not have water,” he said.
ALSO READ: Lesufi apologises for ‘bath at a hotel’ remark amid Joburg water crisis [VIDEO]
On Tuesday, the DA unveiled an election billboard in Pretoria that mocked Lesufi’s comments, depicting him as being out of touch with the lived experiences of Gauteng residents.
The billboard states: “ANC showers in hotels, you have no water, vote DA.”
Water security ‘not a billboard competition’
The ANC’s provincial task team (PTT) spokesperson, Mzi Khumalo, accused the DA of using the water crisis in Gauteng to score cheap political points. He also emphasised that Lesufi has already apologised for the remarks he made at that press conference in February.
“The DA’s attempt to reduce a complex infrastructure challenge to a marketing gimmick is not only misleading but deeply insensitive to residents who expect mature leadership, not campaign stunts and gimmicks,” he said.
Khumalo said water security is “not a billboard competition” but a governance responsibility.
“Before lecturing Gauteng residents, the DA must account for conditions in the Western Cape where spatial inequality, gang violence, and infrastructure backlogs remain deeply entrenched despite years of DA governance,” said Khumalo.
Cosatu defends Lesufi
Cosatu Gauteng chairperson Amos Monyela also expressed his disapproval of the DA’s billboard in a statement on Wednesday. He believes the DA should be helping the province develop solutions to eradicate the water crisis, rather than mocking Lesufi.
“Premier Lesufi’s comments where he indicated that he too experiences water shortages and at times had to shower elsewhere, were clearly intended to demonstrate that the crisis affects everyone, including public representatives. While we acknowledge that the manner in which the remarks were communicated may have caused frustration among residents who are enduring daily hardships, it is important to contextualise them.
“The premier did not seek to undermine the suffering of communities. On the contrary, he sought to show that the water crisis is not selective and that even those in leadership are not immune to the impact of failing infrastructure, ageing water systems, load reduction measures, and bulk supply constraints,” said Monyela.
He further said the trade union federation believes that the
“However, we reject the DA’s attempt to distort the statement and weaponise it for political mileage. The people of Gauteng need practical interventions, infrastructure investment, and accountability, not billboard politics,” he said.
Slay Queens and Johnny Walker Blue
But DA Federal council chairperson Helen Zille told party supporters gathered at the launch of the billboard that the ANC’s top leaders have lost touch with the reality of the poor and working class. She said that is what the billboard depicts.
“The ANC leadership has lost touch with the people. They have completely lost touch with the people. After being in power for 35 years, they think they are important, they think they are above everybody else, and they can live a lifestyle that nobody else can even dream about.”
Referring to ANC and EFF politicians, Zille said they had lost their humility and preferred to sit in presidential suites when they go to watch soccer at stadiums.
“They were in the presidential suites, they were drinking Johnny Walker Blue, they were there with their slay queens parading around and looking cool,” she said.
Zille said power had revealed the true colours of ANC leaders.
“Power has revealed who the ANC leaders are and all the other party leaders are,” she said.
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