“The Truth Hurts”: DA Refuses to Take Down ‘Shower in Hotels’ Billboard

• The ANC slammed the DA’s Pretoria billboard, claiming “ANC showers in hotels,” calling it misleading and a desperate election stunt
• ANC officials said the DA exaggerates water shortages and blamed past DA mismanagement for current service delivery issues
• The ANC has demanded that the DA remove its controversial billboard within 12 hours; however, the DA has refused to

JOHANNESBURG — The ANC in Tshwane has strongly criticised the DA for putting up a billboard in Pretoria that reads “ANC showers in hotels.” The party says the message is misleading and aimed at confusing voters ahead of the elections.

The billboard pokes fun at Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi's controversial comment during the water crisis.

The DA said the ANC had written demanding the billboard be removed within 12 hours, a demand the party has defiantly refused to comply with.

ANC says billboard misleads the public

Tshwane ANC regional secretary George Matjila said the billboard falsely suggests that residents in Tshwane and Gauteng are facing a water crisis.

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He added that the DA is exaggerating problems like water shortages and service delivery issues, which the ANC-led government is already addressing. Matjila also blamed the DA’s previous eight years in power for creating many of these problems, including racialised service delivery, neglected infrastructure, financial mismanagement, and collapsed services in townships.

Additionally, the ANC says Lesufi apologised for the comments and claimed that officials face the same water shortages, with no special treatment during the ongoing crisis.

ANC demands DA remove billboard

According to the DA, the ANC has written to the Democratic Alliance (DA) demanding that they remove the billboard, citing that the billboard is demeaning and tarnishing Lesufi's reputation.

In a statement, the DA says:

"We would like to reassure the ANC that there is nothing that the DA can do to tarnish Mr Lesufi’s reputation more than he has done already."

The party further says the billboard reveals the truth of what the Premier said, and the water crisis that the ANC has created.

"We understand that the truth hurts. However, the DA will not be meeting the ANC’s 12-hour deadline to remove our billboard."

Furthermore, Tshwane DA mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink criticised the ANC, saying that spending on water tankers has increased from less than R200 million to over R1 billion, while water losses have risen from 32% to 40% in one year. He argued that the ANC’s leadership is providing water in tankers instead of fixing taps in people’s homes.

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ANC points fingers at DA’s past

Matjila responded by saying water tankers were first introduced by the DA and its coalition partners. He called the billboard a “desperate election tactic” meant to falsely link Tshwane’s issues to Johannesburg and the Gauteng provincial government, portraying African-led governments as failing.

The ANC also accused the DA of trying to mix up Tshwane’s service delivery issues with problems in Johannesburg and across Gauteng to create what it called “a false picture of failure under African leadership.”

Articles on the water crisis

• The Democratic Alliance's Helen Zille joined the ongoing protests in Johannesburg, blaming corruption for the ongoing water crisis. Zille alleged that maintenance contract failures lead to infrastructural breakdowns.
• Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero has addressed the ongoing water crisis in Johannesburg, blaming the rapid growth of the city for the issues.
• A video surfaced of an unnamed Melville resident showering in the rain, highlighting the ongoing water crisis in the area in the most unusual fashion.

Source: Briefly News