Gareth Cliff Backs Trump's Claim After Hennops River Photo Goes Viral

• Radio presenter Gareth Cliff agreed with Donald Trump's controversial remarks about South Africa after a photo of the polluted Hennops River in Centurion circulated on X
• Cliff's post reignited a debate he sparked in July 2026 when he shared footage of Johannesburg from a train and called it a derogatory word
• Mzansi is divided, with some backing Cliff's blunt take and others questioning why he chooses to live in a country he openly slams

Gareth Cliff is no stranger to controversy, and his latest post on X has Mzansi talking once again. On Wednesday, 9 September 2026, the radio personality and podcaster shared a photo of the Hennops River at the Rabie Avenue bridge in Centurion, originally posted by the account @Patriot_S_A, which showed the waterway choked with rubbish and debris. Cliff's caption was direct: "And people get upset when Trump says 'countries'. This is what it looks like."

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The post drew an immediate reaction from South Africans, splitting opinion sharply between those who agreed with his bleak assessment and those who felt he had crossed a line.

Cliff's History of Blunt Criticism

This was not the first time Cliff had leaned into Trump's loaded language to make a point about South Africa's decline. During the 702 Walk the Talk event on 26 July 2026, he shared a video of Johannesburg filmed from a train and [called the city "absolute hell"](https://briefly.co.za/entertainment/celebrities/248093-gareth-cliff-strong-comment-state-johannesburg-cbd-trump/), writing: "Trump was right. Looks like a s-hole. A once great city that looks like absolute hell. Amandla!" The sarcastic sign-off was not lost on his followers.

His September post about the Hennops River picked up where that moment left off, and for many users, it felt like a pattern.

Mzansi reacts to Gareth's Trump's claims

Reactions ranged from full-throated agreement to sharp pushback. See the post that started the latest wave of debate below.

@bearfruitsouth wrote: "to those complaining about this post, so you think the rubbish is a sign of a well run country? also, people who love this country can also call it a because the of how disgusting it is in many parts, that's not the same as calling everyone who lives here bad lol"

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@DarylS86 added: "I live in SA and even I think it's a hole. Not much to be proud of here lately."

Not everyone was sympathetic to Cliff's framing. @TSTNgh fired back: "How far are you with your refugee status application? A country will be better off without you.

@KingdomMoabi raised a pointed question: "You living in a country does it then make you a ''??? We have problems as a country and everyone accepts that but the truth is that South Africa is nowhere near those unfortunate words by Trump"

@ArendsenShawn offered a more philosophical take: "Gareth if the land is in this state how does the people residing on the lands mind look like just a thought. This shows me how chaotic their minds are because this is a outer form manifestation of the thought of mind in physical form"

@BolandBoer sided with Cliff, writing: "I see a lot of citizens commenting on your post @GarethCliff. Liberals, communist s and snowflakes. Amazing how the truth rattles them so badly..."

Source: Briefly News