As the race to the elections heats up, Democratic Alliance, DA has blamed the African National Congress for the alleged racial tensions in the area after the recent civil unrest.

Hemson says the DA is using insensitivity to exploit alleged racial tensions that led to the deaths of more than 30 people in the area.

In July, racial tensions erupted during the unrest in the area. People were killed, most of them black. People in the area described gunshots, dead bodies, and cars being torched.

After the looting, there were attacks in homes and businesses, and residents in Phoenix set up barricades at almost every intersection. Indian residents were pitted against their Black neighbours living in the informal settlements of Bhambayi, Zwelish and Amaoti

The posters feature a not-very-subtle reference to the violence in August where members of the local Indian and African communities fatally clashed. The police have named 36 people who were killed either by shooting or being hacked to death during what is being referred to as the Phoenix massacre.

One poster reads: “The ANC called you racist” while another says: “The DA calls you heroes”.

The DA is adamant that there’s nothing wrong with using this as a means of campaigning for the elections in KwaZulu-Natal.

Some South Africans have taken to Twitter to register their displeasure over their stand on this issue.