The Truth and Solidarity Movement (TRUTH) has issued a scathing condemnation of the Democratic Alliance-led City of Cape Town, accusing the administration of waging an aggressive and heartless campaign against its most vulnerable residents.
In a media statement released on 17 May 2026, the movement highlighted reports that the municipality is threatening struggling small traders and pensioners with astronomical fines of up to R800,000 and potential prison sentences for operating home-based businesses without formal authorisation.
Allegations of economic exclusion and bureaucratic cruelty
The organisation argues that these actions represent a severe contradiction of the city's official slogan, “The City Works For You.” Instead, the TRUTH movement asserts that the administration is actively sabotaging the livelihoods of the poor and the elderly during a period of unprecedented economic hardship. They contend that the rigid enforcement of zoning laws – at a time of rampant national unemployment and high inflation – serves to criminalise basic survival rather than fostering much-needed economic growth.
The statement further criticises the city's leadership for choosing intimidation and heavy-handed regulation over the support of small and medium-sized enterprises. According to the movement, the decision to send threatening legal notices to families trying to put food on the table demonstrates a profound disconnect from the daily socioeconomic realities faced by ordinary South Africans. They claim that by prioritising bureaucratic technicalities over human dignity and hunger alleviation, the current administration has forfeited its right to govern.
A call for change at the ballot box
In response to what they describe as a draconian approach, the Truth and Solidarity Movement is calling for a political reckoning. They have urged the residents of Cape Town to use the upcoming elections on 4 November 2026, as a platform to voice their dissatisfaction. The movement suggests that the most powerful response to this perceived injustice is at the ballot box, where voters can hold the DA-led city accountable by voting them out of office.
Commitment to the working class
Concluding the statement, President Mehmet Vefa Dag reaffirmed the movement's commitment to standing with small traders, pensioners, and working-class families. The TRUTH movement pledged to continue fighting for an inclusive economy that empowers the public, maintaining that citizens should not be punished for attempting to earn an honest living in a difficult financial climate.