eThekwini officials threaten legal action over DA's 'water tanker mafia' billboard - EWN

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini has been threatened with legal action over its election billboard describing municipal officials as "the water tanker mafia".   

The party's mayoral candidate, Haniff Hoosen, unveiled the billboard along the N2 highway in Durban.   

The billboard features pictures of eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba, City Manager Sipho Mbhele, and the municipality’s Water and Sanitation Executive Director, Ednick Msweli.   

The pictures of the three eThekwini municipal officials are accompanied by the words: "You can stop the water tanker mafia. Vote DA for water in your taps".   

Lawyers representing the trio sent a letter of demand to the DA, saying the billboard was defamatory as it suggested their clients were part of a mafia.   

The lawyers demanded that the billboard be taken down within 24 hours and a public apology issued, failing which they would take legal steps.   

However, Hoosen said the party would not remove the billboard.   

"The threats we received from Mayor Cyril Xaba to remove the billboard or face legal action does not scare us in any way whatsoever. That billboard will remain up, and we refuse to remove the billboard until a court instructs us to do so," Hoosen said.   

He added that voters in Durban had a right to know who was responsible for the water crisis.

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