‘We call you heroes’: DA unveils controversial election poster in Phoenix

There’s nailing your colours to the mast… and then there’s this: The DA has gone all out with their campaign to win votes in KZN, pushing the envelope with their poster campaign in Phoenix. Just three months ago, up to 20 locals were killed when vigilantes clashed with suspected looters during the July Riots.

DA posters in Phoenix cause controversy

The tragic clashes, referred to as the Phoenix Massacre, pitted citizens against each other based on race. A group of Indian residents were accused of picking-off black South Africans, and the wounds of division are still raw in the town.

As an uneasy calm remains in place; but the DA has waded in to stir up controversy, hailing the locals of Phoenix ‘heroes’ for – as they see it – defending their properties at a time of great uncertainty. The poster campaign was highlighted by DA KZN spokesperson Bradley Singh, who shared the following on his Facebook page:

2021 Local Elections: Public react to ‘we call you heroes’ campaign’

The subject itself is a very sore and tricky one to approach. In total, 56 people have been arrested in connection with suspected vigilante killings. Across KZN and Gauteng, over 300 victims were confirmed dead following these widespread acts of looting and violence, which were allegedly sparked by protests to support Jacob Zuma.

The July Riots then took on a life of their own, with malls, business, and major highways targeted by opportunists. Phoenix, however, became an unwitting hotbed of death and destruction, as racial tensions boiled over. The ANC has condemned the vigilante violence, but the DA has chosen to praise those who defended their communities instead.

• The posters, though, have caused a bit of a backlash already:

I think this is inflammatory.After what happened in Phoenix @DA have the nerve to post this in KZN.Clearly they don’t see anything wrong in #PhoenixMassacre.????????????????????????????❤️‍????❤️‍????❤️‍????❤️‍????❤️‍???? pic.twitter.com/TcbywoMMwq

— King of Punchline. (@MrKnockout88) October 5, 2021

This is a DA @Our_DA poster in Phoenix. The DA says Indians who shot black people in Phoenix are heroes. pic.twitter.com/frrcGqwIN5

— Indoda Yamaqiniso (@i_yamaqiniso) October 5, 2021