Defeat Day Zero is not the name of a really bad post apocalyptic superhero flick, it’s the Democratic Alliance (DA) social media campaign to rescue Cape Town from impending disaster (or to save face after failing to properly communicate just how bad the situation was). The Daily Vox rounds up Twitter reactions to the campaign.Â
On Wednesday, DA leader Mmusi Maimane addressed a gathering in Athlone about the party’s plans to combat the impending water deficit.
A packed Hall in Athlone where @MmusiMaimane is going to talk about the Programme of action on CT Water Management to #DefeatDayZero #AvoidDayZero pic.twitter.com/kzidkw72SD
— Ricardo Mackenzie (@ricardomackenzi) January 24, 2018
There are currently about 80 days till 12 April – or Day Zero – where the city will shut off residential taps and Capetonians will have to queue at one of the 200 guarded checkpoints around the city for their daily water rationings.
Yep, it’s that serious and Twitter wasn’t buying Mmusi Maimane’s address or the #DefeatDayZero social media campaign.
Fuck me @Our_DA just coined a #DEFEATDAYZERO hashtag. Post-post-postmodern politics: everything can be reduced to a social media campaign. Even the meltdown of a city.
— IG: richpoplak (@Poplak) January 24, 2018
The whole thing is bizarre, because despite the whole hashtag, website and supposed plan to #DefeatDayZero we all know the City of Cape Town is in deep shit.
Going forward, the #DefeatDayZero Team and @MmusiMaimane will hold weekly briefings on progress made in local media and on our social channels.
Please also visit the https://t.co/BrSUdJE4E4 for regular updates. pic.twitter.com/elfrE0Z3B3
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) January 24, 2018
The setup of the address looked quite like a TedX talk – with Mmusi Maimane as a motivational speaker trying to convince the gathering to buy into #DefeatDayZero.
#DefeatDayZero pic.twitter.com/L6B60OYFf8
— amos odhav (@amosodhav) January 24, 2018
Maimane seemed as if he was about to spit Eminem’s most motivational track Lose Yourself.
Mmusi Maimane sounds like he is about to drop Eminem’s Lose Yourself: “You’ve only got one shot, one opportunity…” #DefeatDayZero
— fatima (@fatimamoosa17) January 24, 2018
He sweated profusely belying his nerves because nobody is fooled, defeating Day Zero is an impossible feat.
And my efforts to help #DefeatDayZero, I am making a contribution to the people of the Western Cape by donating this liter of water to cool down @MmusiMaimane while he sweats profoundly at the Athlone gathering. pic.twitter.com/POWNxuZuxC
— DatBoiDave (@DaBoiDave) January 24, 2018
But people were very confused about why DA leader Maimane was addressing the crowd when the problem is supposedly with the municipal management.
I am really perplexed as to why Mmusi Maimane is addressing at this #DefeatDayZero platform. The DA is playing serious politics here where they have dramatically failed.
— Tasneem Essop (@TasneemEssop_) January 24, 2018
People were confused about why Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille wasn’t addressing the gathering.
Where is Patricia DeLille on this #DefeatDayZero gimmick of the DA? As a Mayor of Cape Town she should be there leading.
— Black_Nxaks ✊🿠(@IamMakhombothi) January 24, 2018
Surely dealing with the Cape Town Water Crisis is not in Maimane’s jurisdiction?
Is what @MmusiMaimane doing NOT a conflation of Party and State? #DefeatDayZero
— Black_Nxaks ✊🿠(@IamMakhombothi) January 24, 2018
Even in the plan for how the party (and puzzlingly not the city?) is dealing with the crisis, there are so many faces involved that shouldn’t be.
I’m confused, is this a party effort, municipal, provincial or what? Where’s the mayor, she isn’t even in your pic. What is Bonginkosi doing here? Isn’t Zille suspended from party activities? Too many questions…#DefeatDayZero #DayZero #WaterCrisis https://t.co/lLtEIcLfsQ
— Godfrey Albertyn (@galbertyn) January 24, 2018
Throughout Maimane’s address, there were members from the audience applauding. Folk questioned whether this was a pep rally?
And who are these people clapping? The fuck is happing here? Is this a roadshow? #DefeatDayZero
— Bhavna Maharaj (@BhavMaharaj) January 24, 2018
Were they paid clappers? What exactly were they applauding?
So in a media briefing you invite clappers? 🤔 #DefeatDayZero uwoooo these ones think this is a movie starring @MmusiMaimane as Obama
— Khusela Diko (@KhuselaS) January 24, 2018
Also, it’s a little late for the city (party?) to come up with a whole social media campaign to defeat the water shortage when it’s mere days away from Day Zero.
A #DefeatDayZero plan should have been actioned 4 years ago already, surely not mere days before the water runs out!? 💦
— Ulrich J van Vuuren (@UlrichJvV) January 24, 2018
Maimane inevitably played the blame game. Part of the plan is to #DefeatDayZero is to legally hold national government to account. It is not, however, to pursue desalination because that’s too expensive.
Okay.
No man, don’t use the excuse that desalination is “too expensive”! You’ve had time to make a plan. Whether its you or National Gov. #dayzero #DefeatDayZero
— Lee-Ann Lipman Gelb (@LeeLipman) January 24, 2018
Obviously, the trolling never stops. A Twitter user continued the #MarkFishChallenge by posting a picture of Mark Fish with DJ Sbu captioned: “Mark Fish and Mmusi Maimane†to troll Fish for Fish posting picture of himself with Sipho “Hotstix†Mabuse on Tuesday claiming it was the late Hugh Masekela.
Mark Fish and Mmusi Maimane pic.twitter.com/1CwRenKdBK
— Khomotso (@cyber_guru) January 24, 2018
The plan is that there is no plan really.
I created a summary of Mmusi Maimane’s speech for those that couldn’t watch… pic.twitter.com/Z4gWrv98s7
— Kim Norwood-Young (@k_osabi) January 24, 2018
