“Go Where the Money Is”: Pieter Kriel Calls Out DA & ANC for Using Poverty As Election Campaign Tool

• South African political commentator Pieter Kriel posted a video on Facebook on 4 August 2026 criticising political parties for visiting poor communities only during election
• Kriel targeted both the DA and ANC, questioning their 20-year track record in government while communities in Alexandra and Khayelitsha still lack basic services
• The video sparked strong debate online, with Kriel revealing the DA had blocked him on TikTok before he posted the critique

A South African social commentator has taken aim at the country’s biggest political parties. Pieter Kriel posted a video on Facebook on 4 August 2026, calling out the Democratic Alliance and the African National Congress for what he described as opportunistic campaigning in poor communities ahead of elections.

Kriel opened his critique by pointing to party visits in Alexandra and Khayelitsha, arguing that politicians only show up in struggling areas when voter confidence is needed. He noted that both the DA and the ANC have been present in various levels of government for over 20 years, yet informal communities in those areas still lack basic sanitation and access to sanitary pads for women and girls.

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Voters waking up to the pattern

Kriel challenged the idea that voting within the current system amounts to meaningful participation. He argued that South Africans keep electing leaders who have been repeating the same promises since the dawn of democracy in 1994. He also pushed back against enthusiasm for the Freedom Front Plus, saying that Peter Groenewald’s actions inside a single prison facility cannot be used to measure an entire party’s success.

Kriel also noted that the video came after the DA has blocked his account on TikTok, asking followers to help share the critique widely.

Watch Pieter Kriel’s full Facebook video below:

South Africans weigh in

The video drew a range of responses from viewers:

@Shiabon Olivier said:

“What are you proposing we do in these instances? We'd rather vote for a party that has a slightly better chance of winning than voting for ANC. Even if we don’t agree with them fully, I am sure it can be better than what we already have.”

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@Zukile Nkqwiliso wrote:

“Go, young man🔵. You are doing some great work, we love you as youth of this country😂. Keep on telling the truth😂.”

@Henry Kemp asked:

“So your EFF is not worse?”

More stories involving SA elections

• IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo revealed the number of registered political parties has jumped from 508 to 620 ahead of local elections.
• Sunday, 2 August 2026 is the last day South Africans can register to vote in person at physical voting stations.
• African National Congress Secretary General Fikile Mbalula responded to Zandile Gumede's defection to the uMkhonto weSizwe Party.

Source: Briefly News