‘Social media politicians’ biggest risk to Western Cape politics, says Fransman - IOL

PMC leader Marius Fransman has criticised the rise of “social media politicians” in the Western Cape.

The People’s Movement for Change (PMC) leader Marius Fransman has slammed “social media politicians”, branding them “the biggest risk” to politics in the Western Cape.

Fransman’s comments come as political parties finalised their mayoral candidates ahead of the local elections on November 4, 2026.  

He made the remarks during Cape Forum’s Dialogue last week, following a noted growing presence of ‘influencers’ and ‘content creators’ entering politics.

Fransman criticised what he called “social media practitioners’, and questioned whether they could engage in ‘mature politics’ claiming that this could cost critical investment in the Western Cape. 

Parties debated in the City of Cape Town as part of the Big Local Government Dialogue held in Bellville ahead of the elections to be held in November.

Fransman said: “The biggest risk that I see happening in our society is the assumption that we can have social media politicians. Vandag het ons baie. (Today we have many)

“Een ding wat jy jou mayor moet vra is stop appointing mense… hulle gryp hulle by ander parties, hull bring hulle in and hulle word social media practitioners.  Then they play stupid politics on the society. 

“What we need in Cape Town is a much more stable, much more government-oriented and much more interesting mature politics.”

Earlier this month, IOL Media reported that the PMC had appointed Cape DJ, broadcaster and founding member of Prophets of da City, Ready D (real name Deon Daniels) as their mayoral candidate.

The PMC also named Bradley Bruintjies, a well-known social media personality and community figure from the Cape Flats known as "Die Hoender Man", as a ward councillor candidate.

That followed Cedric Laguma, who runs the popular Facebook page, Uncle Cedric’s House, being called up by the Democratic Alliance as a ward councillor candidate earlier this month.

Fransman, who was joined at the Cape Forum Dialogue by provincial leaders from parties, added that they would have to join forces to boost job creation in the Western Cape.

He warned: “If we assume business is going to create jobs, we must make sure that we create a development paradigm where business creates jobs.

“With this intervention by the state, we need an interventionist state. We don’t need a state that says ‘hands off’.”