Tensions between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) are escalating ahead of the ANC’s January 8 Statement event, with accusations of sabotage flying between the two parties. The latest dispute emerged after Cape Town Mayor Gordon Hill-Lewis revealed on his X account that the ANC had chosen Khayelitsha Stadium for its 113th anniversary rally, a smaller venue that can accommodate only 22,000 people. Hill-Lewis claimed the ANC opted for Khayelitsha because of “incompetence” in booking a larger venue, stating that they had only attempted to book Cape Town Stadium in mid-November, which was already unavailable due to a Stormers game.
Hill-Lewis went further, stating that ANC officials had approached him in late November and early December for help in securing a venue, even accusing the DA of sabotage. He also criticized the party’s claims, saying that the ANC had failed to make a timely booking and was now attempting to deflect responsibility. “By the time I last spoke to them on 5 December, they still hadn’t booked anything,” he added, dismissing their narrative as false.
The DA’s Helen Zille also took to social media, mocking the ANC’s choice of Khayelitsha and highlighting the township’s reliable drinking water, contrasting it with some ANC-governed municipalities, such as Johannesburg, where service delivery has been an ongoing issue. Zille’s tweet added fuel to the fire, with many perceiving her comment as a pointed jab at the ANC’s governance record.
In response, Mzwandile Masina, an ANC member of the National Assembly, vehemently disagreed with Hill-Lewis’ comments. Speaking on Newzroom Afrika, Masina expressed surprise at the mayor’s involvement in stadium bookings, a task he argued should fall to municipal officials, not politicians. Masina dismissed Hill-Lewis’ remarks as an attempt to score “cheap political points” and defended the ANC’s efforts to secure a venue, framing the entire dispute as a political diversion.
