DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal – eThekwini Municipality officials have approached the Durban High Court to sue the Democratic Alliance (DA) over a controversial election campaign billboard that allegedly defamed city leadership by linking them to a “water mafia.”
The legal dispute centers on a large billboard unveiled on September 28 by DA Mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen. The campaign material featured the faces of Mayor Cyril Xaba, City Manager Musa Mbhele, and the technical services director, accompanied by the slogan: “You Can Stop the Water Mafia.”
City officials argue that the billboard’s message is defamatory and constitutes a false statement, effectively accusing the municipal leadership of being part of a water tanker mafia. Although the physical billboard was taken down by the property owner two days after its unveiling due to fears of legal action, the municipality maintains that the reputational damage has already been done. Furthermore, online images of the billboard featuring the same message remain active on the internet.
During the urgent hearing, the matter was postponed because not all parties were ready to proceed. However, Mayor Cyril Xaba was present in court to defend the municipality’s stance, emphasizing that the city is seeking a retraction, a public apology, and a formal admission from the DA that false statements were made.
“If there’s any evidence to that effect, we expect them to put that evidence before the court, and we’re here to defend ourselves,” Mayor Xaba stated. “We are here to defend our good name. They have no right to harm our dignity. They have no right to tarnish our reputation.”
In response, the DA has firmly rejected the municipality’s demands. The party denies that the billboard suggested the officials were personally involved in a water tanker mafia. Instead, DA representatives argue that the legal action is a strategic attempt by the municipality to silence political opposition and avoid scrutiny over municipal service delivery failures.
DA spokesperson Wilson defended the campaign message, highlighting the financial burden of the city’s water reliance on tankers.
“We have spent hundreds of millions of rands on water tankers, and the people who are responsible at a government level must take accountability for it,” Wilson said. “You can’t hide behind the truth. There’s only so long that you can hide behind the truth, and we’ve exposed it, and that’s why people are now angry with us.”
Wilson added that the party remains undeterred by the legal threats, stating, “We’re not afraid of that. We will continue fighting. We will continue exposing the failures of the city leadership because they are accountable to the people of the city and not to their political party.”
The city officials are now asking the court to not only force the DA to apologize and retract the statements but also to pronounce on the specific legal measures required to compel the removal of the remaining digital images from the web.
