KZN ANC Councillor Goes Viral for Recording Video Joking About His Ward’s Water Crisis
- A member of the African National Congress, who is also a councillor, was slammed for a video that went viral
- The councillor was responding to queries raised in his ward that struggled with a supply of water
- He laughed and asked residents how they could vote for a councillor like him, and Build One SA president Mmusi Maimane was taken aback
Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, provided local and international political analysis and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his nine years of experience.
Source: UGC
KWAZULU-NATAL — An African National Congress (ANC) councillor from Hardin in KwaZulu-Natal is in hot water after he joked about the pleas of the residents under his ward to address a water outage issue.
ANC councillor's video goes viral
@RamaboduObakeng posted a video of the councillor, Anele Phungula, sitting in a hotel. Addressing the videos, he said it's unfortunate that he is not there to help residents of the Umzuziwabantu Municipality with the water crisis. He then mockingly says that he's heard some residents have been bitten by mosquitos trying to get water.
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He added that he would fix the issues when he returned. Recently, parts of the country, including Johannesburg, have been faced with crippling water crises. Rand Water's maintenance resulted in water shortages in late 2024.
He then asked why the residents voted for a councillor like him.
"How can you vote for a councillor like me? What were you thinking?"
View the video here:
Did he apologise?
Phungula then apologised in a video @siphoJay1 posted. He explains that he was joking. He added that his father died, and this has given him trauma. This trauma disturbs his thinking capacity. He also alleges that he was physically assaulted in high school. He said the water issue has been resolved. He apologised in another video and said South Africans not living in his ward did not know how he operated.
Mmusi Maimane, the leader of Build One SA, shared the tweet on his @MmusiMaimane account and was stunned.
"This can't be real!"
View the tweet here:
What did SA say about the video?
Netizens blasted Phungula and the ANC.
Babo Gambi said:
"He and Juju are just the same. The difference is that this fellow is honest."
Thabang said:
"He is a reflection of those who voted for him."
TJD said:
"Most ANC leaders are like this guy, and it's just that they don't make or publish themselves like this one."
Some defended him
Mfundisi said:
"We know him from Harding. He is the hardest-working councillor. The community loves him to bits."
IG: ModibaMaxwell said:
"Very, very old video of an already disciplined member."
Telehova said:
"Don't know him or his ward, but it seems like the dude is a man of jokes."
Jabulani Sohasha said:
"People who know him in Harding say he is the best hardworking councillor who likes to crack jokes with his community."
DA councillor in hot water for alleged racism
In another article, Briefly News reported that the Democratic Alliance investigated allegations that one of its members uttered racist remarks. A video of the councillor reportedly said black people would not get employed in a local project.
The project was meant to provide a water pipeline in Chatsworth, Durban. She said only Indian people in the area would get work on the project, earning ire from South Africans.
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Source: Briefly News
