By Thapelo Molefe
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in Gauteng has come out strongly in defence of ANC provincial chairperson and Premier Panyaza Lesufi, condemning a billboard campaign by the Democratic Alliance (DA) as a “crude and personalised” political attack, as the opposition party insists the advertisement highlights government failure during the province’s water crisis.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the SACP accused the DA of orchestrating a sustained campaign to tarnish Lesufi’s reputation through manufactured scandals and allegations.
“This latest act is clearly driven by the DA’s profound contempt for Premier Lesufi,” said the SACP Gauteng provincial spokesperson Nkosithethile Bonga.
“It represents the continuation of a campaign aimed at demonising him and tarnishing his reputation.”
The SACP said it stood firmly behind Lesufi, noting his refusal to yield to pressure from DA funders and his commitment to structural social, political and economic transformation.
“From the onset, Premier Lesufi has refused to give in to the pressure aimed at appeasing DA funders,” Bonga said.
“He has boldly challenged educational inequalities, supported economic transformation, confronted racism, and introduced pro-poor programmes such as the Nasi Ispani programme.”
The dispute follows the DA’s unveiling of a billboard on Tuesday targeting remarks made by Lesufi during the ongoing water crisis.
In a statement, DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said the billboard was meant to highlight what he described as the premier’s “out of touch” response to residents’ hardships.
“The Democratic Alliance has today unveiled a billboard marking the ridiculousness of an out of touch ANC Gauteng Premier, who in the face of a water crisis proudly remarked that he is also inconvenienced by water outages, but that he showers at hotels,” Msimanga said.
“This billboard is essential to tell Panyaza Lesufi that it is unacceptable to show such contempt for the people of Gauteng. No resident can afford to hire hotel rooms to get a shower because your failing government denies them water at home.”
The DA said the billboard carried a broader political message ahead of the local government elections, contrasting what it termed the ANC’s “Hotel Shower plan” with the DA’s promise of “water in your taps.”
“As water leaks, water tankers, and empty water towers dot municipalities across the province, it is inexcusable for the premier to throw flippant remarks around that are entirely detached from the lived reality of the millions of residents he purports to serve,” Msimanga said.
“This billboard sends a strong message – act, or the DA will force you to.”
The SACP, however, said the premier’s comment had been immediately clarified and apologised for, describing the billboard as an attempt to build a political crusade around a misstatement.
“Their latest political stunt, using an unfortunate and sensitive issue, forms part of an attempt to build a crusade around a ‘devil’ of their own making,” Bonga said.
The party defended Lesufi’s broader record, including his administration’s intervention on e-tolls and efforts to address crime.
“When they questioned his commitment and tactics in fighting crime, they were silenced by the crime statistics that stabilised and showed a gradual decline in certain areas,” Bonga added.
The SACP also pointed to lifestyle audits, the release of forensic reports, and the removal of implicated officials as measures aimed at strengthening integrity in provincial government.
Responding directly to the water crisis claims, the party said if the DA was serious about solutions, it would engage with the substance of Lesufi’s recent State of the Province Address (SOPA), which announced a R760 million infrastructure upgrade programme, construction of new reservoirs, emergency boosting of pumping stations, and pipeline repairs.
“If the DA was genuinely interested in resolving water challenges, they would have engaged with the content of the Premier’s SOPA, instead of erecting a billboard,” Bonga said.
In a scathing counterattack, the SACP accused the DA of attempting to divert attention from its own record, including the Rooiwal water crisis and the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, and referenced past controversies involving senior DA figures such as federal council chairperson Helen Zille and MP Dianne Kohler Barnard.
Framing the clash in ideological terms, the SACP described the attacks on Lesufi as part of an intensifying class struggle in Gauteng.
“These attacks are a manifestation of the intensifying class struggle in the current conjuncture,” the statement read.
“The Premier’s leadership is under attack because it has shown the revolutionary consciousness, political will, and class instinct needed to bring about radical changes in society and the economy.”
Mzi Khumalo, ANC Gauteng provincial spokesperson, said the party’s Provincial Task Team noted with disappointment and condemnation the DA’s latest billboard campaign, which it claims seeks to exploit water supply challenges in the province for narrow political gain.
Khumalo said the DA’s attempt to reduce a complex infrastructure challenge to a marketing gimmick was not only misleading but deeply insensitive to residents who expect mature leadership rather than campaign stunts.
“At a time when residents are understandably frustrated by intermittent water supply disruptions — largely caused by ageing infrastructure, rising demand and bulk supply constraints — the DA has chosen theatrics over solutions. Premier Panyaza Lesufi has publicly acknowledged the inconvenience experienced by residents and has apologised for the frustration caused,” Khumalo said.
“More importantly, he has committed the provincial government to accelerated interventions aimed at stabilising water supply, strengthening infrastructure investment and ensuring that Gauteng residents do not continue to endure interruptions to essential services. The premier and the provincial administration are actively working with municipalities, Rand Water, the Department of Water and Sanitation and other stakeholders to implement sustainable, long-term solutions — not slogans on billboards.”
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