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Today, the African National Congress (ANC) has written to the Democratic Alliance (DA) demanding that we remove the billboard unveiled in Tshwane on Tuesday.

The billboard depicts remarks made by the ANC’s Panyaza Lesufi, the Premier of Gauteng.

Lesufi recently conceded that he had to book into hotels to shower during Gauteng’s ANC-sponsored water crisis.

The DA’s billboard reveals the truth facing Gauteng residents: “The ANC showers in hotels. You have no water. Vote DA to put water in your taps.”

The ANC cannot cite any legal reason as to why the billboard should be removed. Instead, it suggests that the image is demeaning to Lesufi, and tarnishes his reputation.

We would like to reassure the ANC that there is nothing that the DA can do to tarnish Mr Lesufi’s reputation more than he has done already.

To the extent that the image is demeaning to Lesufi, that is because it reveals the truth of what the Premier said, and the water crisis that the ANC has created. It is nowhere near as demeaning as Lesufi’s comments must be to Gauteng residents, when he implied that he knows their suffering because he must shower in fancy hotels.

For the rest of us who cannot afford to pop in for a quick rinse down at the nearest boutique hotel, we continue to suffer the real consequences of the ANC’s service delivery failures.

We understand that the truth hurts. However, the DA will not be meeting the ANC’s 12-hour deadline to remove our billboard.

Instead, we would like to encourage Premier Lesufi to act against the water crisis with the same level of urgency as he has against this billboard.

Issued by Helen Zille - Chairperson of the DA Federal Council