eThekwini's legal team forces DA to remove controversial billboard on N2 - IOL

The Democratic Alliance's controversial billboard being removed.

The DA removed a billboard accusing eThekwini officials of enabling a “water tanker mafia” after the municipality’s attorneys demanded its removal. The party says the billboard exposed the city’s water crisis.

The billboard was erected next to N2, near Riverhorse Valley. 

It read: "You can stop water tanker mafia. Vote DA for water in your taps.”

A letter of demand was issued to the DA by the city's attorneys, in which the municipality objected to the content of the billboard and the harm it had caused to the dignity and reputation of those depicted.

Speaking to the sundaytribune.co.za on Friday, the city’s spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila, said DA removed the billboard after it had received the letter of demand.

"The context of the billboard caused harm to the dignity and reputation of those depicted including the mayor, city manager and executive director, demanded it's immediate removal. The city welcomes the removal of the billboard,” said Mzila.

The DA's eThekwini mayoral candidates Haniff Hoosen, accused officials in the city of being scared to take accountability. 

"The city does not want the public to see a billboard that exposes the city's water tanker mafia," he said.

Hoosen said the city had chosen to fight the billboard with legal action and ‘defend its incompetence’, rather than spending money on fixing the water pipes.

"The DA's billboard exposes the officials who failed to prevent water crisis in Durban. The water tankers mafia in eThekwini raked in hundreds of millions of rands from taxpayer's money, and the people in charge failed to prevent this from happening. The choice in the upcoming election is between taps or tankers," Hoosen added.

City manager Musa Mbhele said the billboard sought to tarnish the reputation and dignity of individuals who carried a public duty to serve the residents of eThekwini. 

"The removal of the billboard is welcome. Those who serve this city, whether as elected leaders or as appointed officials, must be allowed to discharge their responsibilities with integrity intact.

“Robust political contestation is part of our democracy, but it must never descend into the defamation of individuals who are accountable to the public and bound by law in how they respond," Mbhele added. 

The billboard before it was removed.

He said the municipality remained committed to transparency and accountability, and encourages all parties to raise concerns about service delivery or governance through proper and lawful channels.

In 2021, the DA put up posters in Phoenix declaring: "The ANC called you racists" and "The DA calls you heroes,” IOL reported.

The posters referred to residents who took up arms during the July unrest to protect their communities from possible criminality.

Several black people were allegedly killed by Indian men, and some of those suspected of committing the crimes are facing charges in court.

The DA eventually withdrew the posters and apologised.

In 2019, the party had to remove another billboard that said, "The ANC is killing us", after it was found to be offensive. The ANC accused the party of running a dirty campaign and warned that it would take the matter to the Electoral Court, IOL reported.