‘They’ve run out of ideas’: Lesufi hits out at DA over R777m water tanker billboard

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has criticized the Democratic Alliance (DA) for using a billboard in Hammanskraal to accuse the ANC and ActionSA of spending R777 million on water tankers in Tshwane. This comes ahead of local government elections and targets the opposition party's "Take back your city from water tanker mafia! Vote DA" message.

Lesufi questioned the DA's track record on water tankers, pointing out that they were responsible for the city's water tanker contracts during their previous governance. He accused the DA of being opportunistic and having run out of ideas, claiming they are merely smooth talkers making claims about issues they failed to resolve while governing municipalities.

Meanwhile, DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink defended the billboard, stating it highlights the R777 million spent on water tankers during the ANC and ActionSA's first year in government. He alleged that a package plant to supply Hammanskraal with clean drinking water was nearly complete under the previous DA administration but was abandoned after the ANC and ActionSA took over.

Brink also claimed that companies linked to ANC officials received close to R32 million from water tankers. Lesufi responded by highlighting the DA's previous control of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, and Johannesburg, pointing to the ANC's lack of use of billboards to attack the DA during their time in power. He also mentioned the Hammanskraal cholera outbreak and the GladAfrica controversy during the DA's control of Tshwane. The ANC has not responded to the DA's billboard campaign.