‘You’re in government with ANC’: Backlash as DA unveils controversial ‘BEE’ billboard
Speaking at the billboard launch, Helen Zille argued that poor black people were actually better off in DA-governed areas.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has unleashed a new billboard campaign that slams the African National Congress’ (ANC’s) Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy, which they claim has enriched corrupt ANC elites while leaving the majority of South Africans trapped in poverty.
Unveiled in Johannesburg on 28 October 2025, the DA argues that for three decades, this policy has delivered the opposite of what it intended – prosperity for the majority.
BEE branded ‘state-sponsored corruption’
The policy, according to the DA, encourages fronting and patronage, serving as “corruption disguised as empowerment”.
DA federal chairperson Ivan Meyer branded BEE as “state-sponsored corruption, theft and fraud by cadres” intended only to enrich a few politically connected individuals.
The DA’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille, also argued that the BEE legalities themselves are corrupt, noting that the policy results in investment failures, particularly in mining, because people are not prepared to cooperate with the corruption required by the system.
To address their issues with BEE, the DA has tabled the Economic Inclusion for All Bill, which the party says is aimed at rewarding job creation, skills development, and community investment based on fairness and need, rather than political connections.
In response to the DA’s bill, the ANC said it remained committed to economic transformation, equity and inclusive growth.
“The ANC firmly rejects the DA’s Anti-Transformation Bill, which seeks to undermine the hard-won progress made in advancing Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and redressing the injustices of apartheid,” the party said.
Backlash to DA billboard
However, many on X (formerly Twitter) have taken exception to the DA’s billboard and opposition to BEE, with users piling onto a post by DA leader John Steenhuisen – who also happens to be minister of agriculture alongside other ANC members.
“Apartheid made white people rich. On levels that there are billionaires and families still enjoying that money. So you’re only in support of fair policies when they redirect the wealth to white people? You’re a racist piece of sh*t,” said one user.
Another X user said it was reminiscent of the DA’s controversial election posters in Phoenix ahead of the 2021 local government elections, which were lashed as “racist”. The DA later took them down and offered an apology.
Zille: Poor people ‘better off’ under DA
Speaking at the billboard launch, Zille defended the party’s non-racial approach by arguing that poor black people were actually better off in DA-governed areas. Zille asserted that poor citizens received the best service delivery and the best opportunities, including superior public transport access, in DA administrations.
She claimed that DA policies benefit the “vast majority of poor black people” by shutting down the financial taps of the corrupt ANC elite who “rob the poor to enrich themselves”.
Zille’s utterances come two weeks after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s blasted DA-governed Cape Town as the “worst-performing metro”.
Ramaphosa highlighted that many townships and informal settlements in Cape Town remained worlds apart from the city’s economic hubs and service centres.
“Census data shows that in the decade between 2011 and 2022, Cape Town performed worse than the average of all metros in expanding access to services such as refuse removal, piped water, electricity, and flush toilets to its citizens or residents,” Ramaphosa said in Parliament.