“ANC Is The Country’s Most Anti-Poor Government” Hill-Lewis Drops Explosive Claim During Debate

The clash between Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis and African National Congress (ANC) deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane has brought housing, informal settlements and poverty to the centre of the political debate ahead of South Africa’s local government elections.

During a political leaders’ debate, Hill-Lewis described the ANC as the country’s “most anti-poor government”, directing criticism at the party’s record in government and its approach to service delivery.

The statement came during a heated exchange over conditions in informal settlements in Cape Town, with Mokonyane challenging Hill-Lewis over the DA-led administration’s handling of housing and land.

Mokonyane questioned the DA’s record on access to well-located land and affordable housing for poorer residents. She challenged Hill-Lewis to account for people living in informal settlements and communities struggling to access adequate housing and basic services.

Hill-Lewis defended the DA’s record, arguing that Cape Town had made significant progress in delivering subsidised housing and creating opportunities for lower-income residents.

According to figures cited by Hill-Lewis, Cape Town delivered 12,401 state-subsidised homes over the past five financial years, which he said was more than any other metropolitan municipality in South Africa. The DA has also pledged to release additional municipal land for affordable housing and upgrade informal settlements.

Housing and spatial inequality have become increasingly prominent issues in Cape Town’s political debate. Opposition parties have repeatedly raised concerns about the distance between poorer communities and economic centres, while the DA has argued that its policies are intended to increase access to housing and employment opportunities.

Mokonyane’s challenge reflects the ANC’s broader criticism of the DA’s approach to land and housing. During the debate, she questioned whether the city was doing enough to ensure disadvantaged communities benefited from land and housing programmes.

Hill-Lewis has previously acknowledged that Cape Town continues to carry the legacy of apartheid-era spatial planning but has argued that his administration is making progress in addressing it. He has also announced plans to expand affordable rental housing, release more city-owned land and upgrade informal settlements.

The DA leader has also highlighted developments such as the Salt River Market project, where 970 affordable housing units are planned. The city says it intends to work with private developers and support smaller housing developers in informal settlements to expand the supply of safe and legally compliant affordable accommodation.

The exchange between Hill-Lewis and Mokonyane therefore exposed a wider disagreement over responsibility for South Africa’s housing crisis. While the DA points to its record of municipal delivery and planned housing projects, the ANC continues to question whether those interventions are sufficient to address poverty, inequality and the legacy of spatial apartheid.

Hill-Lewis’s description of the ANC as the “most anti-poor government” was a political characterisation made during the debate. The ANC’s position, meanwhile, is that government must do more to address inequality, housing shortages and access to well-located land.

With local government elections approaching, housing, informal settlements, service delivery and economic opportunities are expected to remain major issues in political campaigns across South Africa.

Source; https://x.com/TimesLIVE/status/2105977577274020062