DURBAN, Wednesday 21 October 2026 — The Durban High Court has granted an interim interdict against the Democratic Alliance (DA) and its eThekwini mayoral candidate, Haniff Hoosen, over election advertising that linked three senior municipal officials to the so-called water tanker mafia.
The ruling follows an urgent application by eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba, City Manager Musa Mbhele and former water and sanitation executive director Ednick Msweli.
Acting Judge D.J. Nzimande found that the disputed campaign material caused harm to the officials’ reputations and that they had established grounds for interim protection.
The ruling comes less than two weeks before South Africa’s local government elections on 4 November.
Court restricts campaign material
The dispute arose after the DA erected a billboard along the N2 highway near Newlands East in September.
The advertisement featured photographs of Xaba, Mbhele and Msweli alongside a message urging residents to vote for the DA to stop the water tanker mafia.
The three officials argued that the advertisement associated them with criminal activities involving water tanker operations.
Although the billboard was subsequently removed, the applicants maintained that related statements and social media posts continued circulating.
They approached the High Court seeking an order preventing further publication of the disputed material.
In his ruling on Wednesday, Nzimande found that the wording and presentation of the advertisement could reasonably be understood as implicating the officials in wrongdoing.
The court concluded that the applicants had established the requirements for an interim interdict.
DA given deadlines to comply
The order requires the DA to remove relevant statements and posts from its website and social media platforms within 24 hours.
Any remaining physical displays covered by the order must also be removed.
The party must provide an affidavit to the applicants’ attorneys within 48 hours confirming compliance.
The court ordered the DA to pay the costs of the application on the attorney-and-client scale, including the costs of two counsel.
The ruling does not prevent the DA from criticising the municipality’s administration or its handling of water services.
However, it restricts the publication of material that links the three applicants to the alleged criminal activities addressed in the proceedings.
Hoosen says DA will not apologise
Speaking outside court, Hoosen said the DA would continue campaigning on water-service failures in eThekwini.
He maintained that the party’s campaign was intended to highlight problems affecting residents.
Hoosen also said the DA would not apologise to the municipal officials, noting that the court had not ordered an apology.
The ruling represents a setback for a campaign that has placed water provision and municipal accountability at the centre of the DA’s election message.
The party has repeatedly criticised eThekwini’s reliance on water tankers and the municipality’s response to infrastructure failures.
Water services remain election issue
Water shortages, infrastructure maintenance and municipal governance have become prominent issues in eThekwini’s election campaign.
The court proceedings concern the legality of the disputed advertising rather than a determination of responsibility for the municipality’s broader water challenges.
The interim interdict does not establish whether criminal syndicates are operating within municipal water services.
The DA must now comply with the court’s directions while continuing its election campaign.
Any further legal proceedings or challenge to the interim order could determine whether the restrictions remain in place.
