Durban court bars DA from linking mayor to water tanker mafia
The Durban High Court granted an interim interdict stopping the DA from publishing statements that imply Mayor Cyril Xaba, City Manager Musa Mbhele and former water head Ednick Msweli belong to, or profit from, a water tanker mafia. The ruling came on Wednesday.
The order follows a DA billboard that showed the three men next to the message "You can stop the water tanker mafia." The order also bars statements that imply they are complicit in such a mafia. Xaba, Mbhele and Msweli were the applicants.
Their legal team argued that the billboard and similar references in statements and social media posts were defamatory. Judge DJ Nzimande said the order will not curtail the DA's right to free speech.
Haniff Hoosen, the DA mayoral candidate, spoke outside court after the ruling. He said: "For me, and for the DA personally, I think this for us, is a victory in terms of accountability".
Hoosen also said Durban has 13 000 active water leaks and that 65% of the city's water goes down the drain. He said the municipal leadership caused the water crisis through failed performance.
Key facts
- Who
- Cyril Xaba (eThekwini Mayor, applicant); Musa Mbhele (City Manager, applicant); Ednick Msweli (former water head, applicant); DJ Nzimande (Judge who granted the interim interdict)
- What
- The Durban High Court granted an interim interdict against the DA's billboard, which featured eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba, City Manager Musa Mbhele and former water head Ednick Msweli next to the message 'You can stop the water tanker mafia.' The order bars the DA from publishing statements that imply the three are members of, complicit in, or profit from a water tanker mafia.</continue>
- When
- 21 October 2026
- Where
- Durban, eThekwini, N2
- Status
- Reported