‘My crush? No ways’: Lesufi responds to Zille swipe

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has taken aim at Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi over his controversial hotel shower remarks, unveiling a provocative billboard during a campaign media briefing in Pretoria. The back-and-forth that followed has set social media alight.

The DA drew first blood on Tuesday, launching a bold campaign billboard in Mamelodi, Pretoria, that depicts Lesufi showering fully clothed, complete with a white shirt and tie.

The stunt was aimed squarely at Lesufi’s now-infamous admission that water shortages had forced him to shower at a hotel.

The billboard’s message was blunt, stating “the ANC showers in hotels” and urging voters to choose the DA if they want water restored to their taps.

The DA used the moment to position itself as the party with a credible solution to South Africa’s water infrastructure crisis. The party claimed to have “a master infrastructure plan on how to fix South Africa’s ongoing water issues.”

💧 Gauteng residents deserve water 24/7! Not Panyaza @Lesufi and his hotel showers.

Without water:

📉 Businesses close
❌ Jobs are lost
🏫 Schools and clinics can’t function
😷 Communities face health risks

Water income must ONLY fix broken infrastructure and not fund crooks. pic.twitter.com/qcWCImOEJG

– Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 3, 2026

ALSO READ: DA billboard mocks Lesufi’s ‘hotel shower’

The billboard references a statement Lesufi made in February while addressing residents frustrated by Gauteng’s ongoing water shortages.

In what appeared to be an attempt to show solidarity with affected communities, the premier revealed that he, too, had been impacted and had resorted to showering at a hotel.

The comment landed badly with the public and triggered widespread backlash, with many accusing Lesufi of being out of touch with ordinary South Africans who cannot afford hotel stays when their taps run dry.

Lesufi subsequently apologised, saying his statement had been taken out of context.

Lesufi fires back, and the DA returns serve

Rather than staying silent, Lesufi responded to the billboard by posting a picture online, a move that prompted the DA to immediately question whether he was “tweeting from the hotel”.

The image attached to Lesufi’s response declared support for the premier and accused the DA of obsessing over him.

The graphic, styled as a breaking news bulletin, read: “Stop obsessing over Panyaza – we know he’s your crush, Gogo.”

It listed Lesufi’s “achievements”, including electricity delivery, housing, and advocacy for community programmes, before signing off with: “Racist DA must fall.”

Lesufi captioned the tweet “My crush? No ways”, a pointed and personal response to the political jousting.

ALSO READ: Lesufi’s hotel shower comment will be damaging for the ANC

Netizens respond

Netizens responded with mixed reactions to Lesufi’s comeback. One tweeted, “This comeback is weaker than GNU”.

Another one came in support of Lesufi’s response, giving him advice to “fill the gap”. @OpinionRumos further advised the premier to “Erect a counter billboard with her and the following message: ‘Do not vote for those who enjoy beer during the struggle for equality”.

The crush is stated the otherway round, as opposed to how you state it. The image says “you are her crush..” , not the other way round pic.twitter.com/UV3Ydi6PXi

– ZARWorker (@vote_checker) March 3, 2026

Eish! Weak comeback, Panyaza. To top it off, it’s a Heineken Zero in hand. We’ll never let that comment go!

While Gauteng suffers from your mismanagement, you’re living in luxury. Hope you’re ashamed, but I doubt it. You couldn’t care less.

– Hoodlum (@Hoodlum_ZA) March 4, 2026

Water crisis remains the real issue on the campaign trail

Beyond the political theatre, the back-and-forth highlights a genuine crisis. Water shortages remain a serious concern across Gauteng, especially in parts of Johannesburg and Pretoria, where residents are still struggling with water.

The DA argued that the root cause lies in decades of neglect, stating that “successive governments have not solved those issues” and that the infrastructure challenges are long-standing. Their campaign is positioning water delivery as a central election issue.

Whether the billboard will move votes or simply generate headlines remains to be seen.

What is clear is that water, long a flashpoint in South African politics, has become one of the sharpest weapons on the 2026 campaign trail.

READ NEXT: DA blames Lesufi for taps running dry but has party member serving as deputy water minister

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