A recently released report has used the latest water crises as a case study to reveal how social media is turning service delivery failures into powerful campaign issues and deepening electoral polarisation.
The report by the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC) and titled Water Access says the country’s worsening urban water crisis is increasingly shaping political narratives online.
This comes after the DA used as a campaign billboard the recent gaffe by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi about having to shower at Hotel when he experiences water challenges like everyone.
Their billboard, which has an AI image of Lesufi under a shower, is accompanied by the words “ANC showers in hotels. You have no water. Vote DA to put water in your taps."
The report said the billboard later spiked an echo effect where the social media virality of the original clip continued to generate attention as it was referenced in subsequent political commentary and campaign activity.
“By revisiting the remark, opposition actors ― particularly the DA ― extended their visibility within the news cycle and used it to reinforce criticism of the ANC ahead of the 2026 local government elections,” said the centre.
The report also highlighted that the ANC’s legal response echoed the party’s attempt to mitigate the narrative loss in public discourse.
After his hotel remarks, Lesufi had apologised saying the comment was “misunderstood and misconstrued”.
However, the centre said his prior controversial remarks reverberate on social media.
According to the report, while the initial backlash reflected genuine frustration with ongoing water shortages, the conversation quickly evolved into a broader political debate about service delivery ahead of the municipal elections.
“The observed amplification patterns carry significant implications for understanding how public outrage evolves into sustained political discourse. The initial peak on February 12 suggests a strong public reaction from users discussing water shortages, where engagement aligned closely with mention volume, suggesting genuine sentiment driven by lived hardship.
“In stark contrast, the later ‘aftershock campaign’ peaks February 17 and March 3 coincide with political campaigning, notably the DA’s billboard rollout mocking Lesufi’s ‘hotel shower’ remark.
“This disproportionate engagement relative to lower mention volumes highlights how opposition parties strategically build political messaging around existing public grievances for electoral gain,” said the report.
It said the report showed how social media remains a pivotal arena shaping voter perceptions ahead of the local government elections.
“In this case, it amplified Lesufi’s hotel shower remark into a flashpoint for service delivery debates. These patterns highlight platforms’ power to prolong discourse through reposts, algorithmic boosts, partisan networks and echo chambers,” it said.
The report highlighted how this dynamic underscores social media’s role in transforming leadership missteps into prolonged political liabilities.
“Hot-button issues, water shortages, load-shedding and basic services, will likely intensify online as pre-election conversations. Social media dynamics risk deepening electoral polarisation, contributing to an increasingly polarised online political environment.
“Ultimately, resolving South Africa’s water crisis demands political will to deliver water access. This is occurring in the complex local government election year terrain that may once more deliver coalition leadership to major metros,” said the report.
The report comes just a day after the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced that the first voter registration weekend for the 2026 local government elections will take place on June 20 and 21.
Sowetan
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