DA’s ‘hotel shower’ billboard turns up the heat on Lesufi amid Gauteng water crisis

On a busy stretch of Stormvoël Road in Pretoria, drivers slowed down this week, some laughing, others shaking their heads.

Towering above the traffic was a new billboard unveiled by the Democratic Alliance (DA), featuring Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in a shower. The image is a pointed jab at remarks he previously made about going to a hotel to shower comments the opposition says highlight just how disconnected leadership has become from ordinary residents.

The unveiling drew giggles and cheers from DA supporters gathered at the scene. Passing motorists hooted in apparent approval. But not everyone was amused. From the roadside came another shout: “Fix the road!”

And that, in many ways, captures the mood in Gauteng right now.

A billboard born of frustration

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said the billboard was inspired by what he described as tone-deaf leadership at a time when communities are battling persistent water shortages.

According to Msimanga, many residents cannot afford the luxury of booking into a hotel simply to access running water. “No resident can afford to hire a hotel room to get a shower because the failing government denies them water at home,” he said during the briefing.

Across parts of Gauteng, leaking pipes, dry taps and roaming water tankers have become a familiar sight. In some neighbourhoods, empty water towers stand as daily reminders of infrastructure under strain.

Against that backdrop, the DA argues, joking about hotel showers hits differently.

“Lost touch with reality”

DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille didn’t mince her words. She questioned how many residents live within walking distance of a hotel, and even if they did, whether they could afford to shower there daily.

“When people have been without water for weeks or months, how is that an answer?” she asked, suggesting the remark shows a widening gap between political office and lived experience.

Her comments drew both applause and criticism online. On social media, some users praised the DA for “creative accountability,” while others accused the party of grandstanding instead of offering practical solutions.

The numbers behind the outrage

DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink added fuel to the debate by pointing to spending figures.

He claimed that in the year since their coalition partner was removed from power, expenditure on water tankers for areas that should have functioning taps rose from under R200 million to more than R1 billion. Over the same period, he said, water losses from leaking pipes increased from 32% to 40% in just one year.

Those figures, if accurate, paint a picture of a system buckling under poor maintenance and reactive spending.

Politics in the age of water scarcity

Water has become one of Gauteng’s most politically charged issues. As local government elections approach, service delivery especially around basic utilities is expected to dominate campaigning.

The DA’s billboard is more than a cheeky visual. It’s a strategic reminder aimed at voters: leadership matters when taps run dry.

But the reaction on Stormvoël Road suggests something deeper. While some residents enjoy the theatre of political sparring, others are tired of slogans and spectacle. “Fix the road,” that passerby shouted a blunt summary of everyday frustrations that go beyond water alone.

A symbol of a bigger problem

In the end, the billboard isn’t really about a shower.

It’s about perception. It’s about whether public officials appear to share in the struggles of the people they serve. And it’s about the widening trust gap between citizens and government institutions.

For many Gauteng residents carrying buckets and watching water tankers queue outside their suburbs, the issue isn’t who lands the sharpest political punch.

It’s whether the taps will run tomorrow.