Zola residents say DA billboard misses the mark

As taxis and cars stream along Mew Way Road from the N2 into Khayelitsha, a giant smiling face greets commuters from high above the shacks of Zola informal settlement.

But on the ground, where zinc structures are squeezed together “like tins of sardines”, residents say the towering billboard feels less like hope and more like mockery.

Erected by the DA, the sign features former ANC caucus leader in the City of Cape Town Banele Majingo and reads: “Owaye yinkokheli ye ANC eKapa ukhetha iDA. Nawe unako” (The former ANC leader in Cape Town chooses the DA. You can too).

Just metres away, about 20 portable toilets line the edge of the settlement, a daily reminder, residents say, of promises unfulfilled.

‘Does that mean we are finally on the map?’

For Nokuzola Ngxingi, the billboard is a painful contradiction.

“We are sick and tired of people coming here when they need our X,” she said. “When we complained about houses, we were told this area does not appear on the map. Then politicians came here, taking photos, and suddenly housing promises were made. Does that mean we are on the map now?”

Ngxingi said Zola has existed for more than 20 years, yet families remain in informal structures vulnerable to crime and fire.

“You can’t even walk between the shacks without being robbed of your phone. At night, people kick our doors and take whatever they want. You will never see police here. We were shocked to see them the other day.”

As she spoke, neighbours gathered. Some shouted about unreliable water. Others demanded flushing toilets.

Zikhona Mapanjwa said daily life in Zola is defined by uncertainty.

“The water is on and off. Our children play in dirty water flowing in the streets,” she said.

At night, the walk to the portable toilets becomes a danger zone.

“It is very risky. People prefer relieving themselves in 20-litre buckets and throwing it away in the morning,” she explained.

It would be better to see a bread advertisement. At least that would give me hope to hustle money to buy bread for my children.

—  Zola resident Zikhona Mapanjwa

Residents say crime has escalated to the point where they walk in groups, even during the day, fearing robbery.

“We don’t even know the face of the person hovering above our shacks,” Mapanjwa added.

“He was ANC and never did anything for us either. This is not just about the DA; any political billboard here would feel like an insult.”

Then she paused before delivering a line echoed by others nearby:

“It would be better to see a bread advertisement. At least that would give me hope to hustle money to buy bread for my children.”

DA: a message of hope and reconfiguration

Khayelitsha, one of the largest townships in Cape Town, continues to battle high unemployment, crime and service delivery backlogs.

DA Western Cape deputy leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said the striking billboard represents a political reconfiguration in the Cape Metro Region ahead of the local government elections.

He said in DA-led Cape Town townships, residents have greater access to jobs and services than in many ANC-run townships such as Alexandra and Soweto, attributing this to prioritised service delivery and long-term planning.

The billboard, he said, signals that the DA cares for every community and is working toward a city of hope and opportunity.

But in Zola, residents say hope cannot tower above them on steel poles.

They say hope looks like running water that does not stop, toilets that flush safely at night, doors that are not kicked in, and houses that replace shacks standing shoulder to shoulder.

Until then, they insist, no political slogan, no matter how bold, will resonate more than the simple promise of bread on the table.