‘Are you the messiah?’ EFF’s Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi puts DA on the spot over eThekwini promises

From accusations of failing black communities in Cape Town to a fiery row over security guards and workers’ rights, the DA and EFF clashed over who should take responsibility for eThekwini’s problems as the local government elections approach.

The gloves came off as the DA and EFF went head-to-head over eThekwini’s failures, missed opportunities and the question of who should take responsibility for a city battling a growing list of challenges.

Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi took aim at the DA, questioning its record in Cape Town while challenging the party’s promises to fix eThekwini. Mkhaliphi confronted Kissoon over what she described as failures to improve the lives of residents in Cape Town, arguing that the party could not present itself as a saviour for Durban while communities in the Western Cape continued to struggle.

Madam, all those things that you are saying you are going to do here in eThekwini, why are you failing to do them in Cape Town? People in Dunoon, Khayelitsha and KwaNanga are living like pigs in Cape Town. So why are you coming here to tell us that you are going to be a messiah of sorts when you take over eThekwini?

Or are you saying this just to get votes?

Kissoon also pushed back against Mkhaliphi’s criticism of the DA’s record in Cape Town, arguing that the debate should focus on eThekwini and the EFF’s own responsibilities within the municipality. She questioned the EFF’s handling of the Informal Settlements Portfolio, pointing to the number of informal settlements in eThekwini and challenging the party to account for its role in municipal decision-making.