- Hannif Hoosen apologised for the DA’s controversial Phoenix posters, saying they hurt race relations instead of bringing communities together in eThekwini.
- The posters appeared after 36 black people were killed in Phoenix during the July 2021 unrest north of Durban.
The DA’s mayoral candidate for eThekwini, Hannif Hoosen, says the party’s controversial Phoenix posters were a “horrible mistake.”
He spoke out for the first time in an interview with Newzroom Afrika on Saturday night.
The posters went up ahead of the 2021 local elections. They read: “The ANC called you racists” and “The DA calls you heroes.” They were placed in Phoenix, north of Durban, just months after violence that left 36 black people dead.
The killings happened during the July 2021 unrest. According to the police ministry, two people were burnt to death, one was stabbed, one was run over, two were assaulted to death, and 30 were shot.
Most of the victims were from Inanda, KwaMashu and Ntuzuma townships. One woman travelling home to Ntuzuma was attacked in Phoenix, and her car was burnt.
Hoosen said the posters inflamed tensions instead of healing divisions. “Let me be honest, those posters were a mistake. We apologise for it,” he said.
He added that his campaign is focused on building unity between races in Durban.
After the 2021 attacks, Indian community leaders held reconciliation meetings with black residents. They also bought a new vehicle for the woman whose car was destroyed during the violence.
Pictured above: DA mayoral candidate for eThekwini Hannif Hoosen apologises for the Phoenix controversial posters of the 2021 July unrest.
Image source: Democratic Alliance
