Potholes Miraculously Fixed After Man Spray Paints ‘ANC’ Around Them: “Works Like a Bomb”
- A TikTok video from 2023 showing an Afrikaner man in Gauteng using spray paint to map out the potholes in the road resurfaced online
- The man also wrote 'ANC' next to the circled potholes so that people could see who was allegedly responsible, which led to it instantly being fixed
- While some social media users called it vandalism, others appreciated the man's efforts to shine a light on the road's conditions
Source: TikTok
A resurfaced video showed an Afrikaner man spray painting the potholes in his area, hoping for them to be fixed. Sure enough, they were. The municipality’s actions left the online community airing grievances about the local government.
On 16 September, 2025, the online platform News Nexus uploaded the 2023 video on their TikTok account showing the man circling two potholes and writing 'ANC' with the spray paint. The location was Pierre van Ryneveld Park in Gauteng, and what was as clear as day was that the resident was fed up with the undrivable roads.
The man shared that the day after spray painting, the potholes that had been neglected for so long were suddenly fixed. He showed municipal workers in orange overalls, equipped with the necessary gear to fix the roads and make them safer. The man also showed his appreciation and thanked the workers, telling them that he would buy them cool drinks for their efforts on the sunny day.
At the end of the clip, he said:
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"Who said a bottle of spray paint won't work? It works like a bomb. Get yourself one of these bad boys, mark them (the potholes), and see results."
South Africans react to the fixed potholes
Thousands of social media users headed to the post's comment section to express their thoughts about the potholes being fixed. While some pointed out that the man’s actions could be seen as vandalism, others gave the man a round of applause. A few internet users also spoke about the political parties' involvement, or lack thereof.
Source: Getty Images
@bronco26829, who claimed to have had a similar experience, stated in the comments:
"We did the same thing in Cape Town, and within a week, the DA-led municipality fixed the potholes after nearly six months."
@fistmedaddy91 humorously asked the man:
"Why didn’t you mark it again to let people know that the ANC fixed it?"
Capetonian TikTok user @wheezy503 shared under the post:
"The DA can learn from you. Areas like Bishop Lavis, Bontas (Bonteheuwel), and Elsies River are full of potholes, but it's the best-run city."
@kingjunior398 placed blame on the political parties, writing:
"If the DA cared about South Africans, they would have never joined with the ANC. They are also obsessed with power. We blame the ANC all the time, and we forget to also blame the DA government. Don't forget it's a GNU."
@mlondolozin wrote in the comment section:
"People are just tired. No matter who is in power, we pay taxes for what? Still paying for damages to our cars caused by potholes. What about our safety on the roads?"
@_hlxni pointed out to online users:
"At least he's appreciative when he sees progress."
'Take a look at the TikTok video below:
3 Other stories about potholes
- In another article, Briefly News reported that South Africans applauded an elderly man fixing potholes in Gauteng. The potholes allegedly caused car accidents in the past.
- A few social media users from the United States showed the less glamorous side of New York, which included potholes and filthy areas. The streets were in desperate need of maintenance.
- In March, 2025, media personality Siv Ngesi spoke about the potholes at the entrance of OR Tambo International Airport. South Africans expressed their thoughts about the potholes that welcomed local and international travellers.
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Source: Briefly News
