Durban - It was not the Christmas message the ANC’s eThekwini bosses were expecting from their official opposition.
The DA has admitted it was behind a cheeky billboard ad on the M4 (Southern freeway), that shows in no uncertain terms who must take responsibility for the recent electricity load shedding.
“Load shedding. Proudly brought to you by the ANC”, it informs city-bound motorists just after the Clairwood on-ramp.
The ad, put up on Thursday evening
, was the DA’s response to the ruling party behaving as if it was not responsible for power utility Eskom, said the DA’s KwaZulu-Natal chairman, MP Hannif Hoosen.
He confirmed on Sunday that the party had paid for the ad.
“Eskom reports to the ANC. They messed it up. They must take responsibility. Hopefully they will come forward and do so,” said Hoosen.
“We will keep this message up for as long as possible. It is the only billboard with this message thus far.”
The ANC, however, is not amused, calling the ad illegal and nothing but a DA “prank”.
“The energy shortage is a global phenomenon, not just a South African issue,” said eThekwini Municipality Speaker Logie Naidoo, speaking on behalf of the party.
“The majority of the DA served in the old nationalist (National Party) government. The apartheid government did not cater for the energy needs of the vast majority of our people. Today we are bringing electricity even to informal settlements, something the Nats and right-wing parties never dreamt of,” said Naidoo.
He said the ANC was contemplating laying charges against those responsible.
Hoosen did not divulge the cost of the advert, and Face First Media, the billboard advertising company, said the amount paid was confidential.
“We are not responsible for the adverts displayed. We are an advertising platform, like radio, TV and print,” spokesman Stevan Wilken said.
ANC national spokesman, Zizi Kodwa, said it was not true the party was responsible for load shedding. Since 1994, more than 11 million new households had been given access to electricity, Kodwa said.
Similar billboards, and a similar row, occurred in Gauteng in March.
Daily News