Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen is adamant that he will not apologise for some of the party’s messaging on its local government election posters.
This is despite the DA in KwaZulu-Natal coming under fire on social media for its controversial poster in Phoenix, north of Durban.
Posters in Phoenix.
The problem isn’t with the “ad campaign”. That’s too generous.
The problem is also not with “whoever did these posters.” That too is too generous.
The problem is the DA’s political DNA.
These posters aren’t a mistake. They REVEAL the DA.#KnowYourDA pic.twitter.com/ItMGSueyHF
— Eusebius McKaiser (@Eusebius) October 5, 2021
The party is being accused of fueling racial divisions in the community of black and Indian residents in the area after blaming the ANC for the situation.
At the height of the unrest that ravaged parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, the area was reportedly mired in racial tensions that resulted in the deaths of 36 people.
The posters have since sparked bitter memories with others saying the official opposition is insensitive.
But speaking to the media in Midrand, Steenhuisen said he had no regrets about the messaging on the poster in Phoenix.
In the video below, Steenhuisen defends DA election posters in Phoenix:
Meanwhile, Director of the Centre of Non-violence at the Durban University of Technology, Crispin Hemson, says the Democratic Alliance (DA) is using what he terms contempt in its messaging on its Local Government Elections posters in Phoenix, Durban.
Hemson says the DA is using insensitivity to exploit alleged racial tensions that led to the deaths of more than 30 people in the area.
