The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of trying to gain support among the Indian community at the expense of social cohesion.

This is after the DA put up election posters in Phoenix north of Durban with a message in which it blames the ANC for racial tensions in Phoenix, north of Durban.

The posters refer to the widespread unrest in July when more than 350 people died in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

More than 30 of the deaths were reported in Phoenix. ANCC provincial spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela has called on the DA to stop sowing divisions in communities.

“ANC in KZN condemns in strongest terms the posters issued by the DA portraying those who are arrested in Phoenix as heroes. This is political hypocrisy of the highest order of the party which claims to be a non-racial organisation where it’s garnering the votes of the Indian community at the expense of the justice of the citizens of our province. We call on the DA to stop this as it will not help in harmonising the situation in Phoenix, it will not help in normalising race relations between our communities.”

The ruling party says it will approach the IEC to check if the posters are not a breach of the electoral code of conduct:

The National Freedom Party (NFP) has also weighed in on the controversial election posters the DA has put up in Durban about the July unrest in Phoenix north of the city.

NFP spokesperson, Canaan Mdletshe, says they are planning to mobilise people from hostels to move to Phoenix.

“It is an insult to black people; it’s an insult to the relatives of all the people that were killed in Phoenix when a political party like the DA is putting up posters that are actually praising the accused in this instance. We are going to mobilise residents of eThekwini in particular, put members and supporters from nearby areas like Kwa Mashu hostel and other hostels in and around Durban to go to Phoenix. We are therefore going to mobilise people and we are going to encourage people to go and stay in Phoenix. If there is no accommodation available we must erect shacks so that the residents of Phoenix can accept us as black people.”

Steenhuisen will not apologise

Meanwhile, DA leader John Steenhuisen is adamant that he will not apologise for some of the party’s messaging on its LGE posters.

Speaking to the media in Midrand, Steenhuisen said he had no regrets about the messaging on the poster in Phoenix.

The Democratic Alliance says it is not apologising for the posters: