uMngeni Mayor Chris Pappas sparked debate after calling out the irony of voters who publicly support one party but seek help from another.
The Mayor of uMngeni in KwaZulu-Natal, Christopher Pappas, has come under fire for his controversial comments on service delivery.
This comes after he posted on his X account on Sunday that people who have political parties other than the DA on their profile pictures should not approach him for assistance.
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Pappas on party loyalists seeking DA aid
“If you ask for help and have the ANC, EFF, or MK as your profile picture (PP), don’t expect an answer. I serve all our people, but please don’t insult my intelligence and then come to the DA for help. I’m not a girlfriend you flirt with when you want something but are never committed to marrying,” he wrote on X.
However, Pappas later received backlash from social media users and other commentators.
In an interview with The Citizenon Monday, he explained that election season has long ended, and those who still have pictures of political parties on their social media profiles clearly have affiliation with those parties.
“My point is not that people shouldn’t ask for help, but rather that it raises a valid question. If you strongly align with and promote a particular party, why not turn to your own representatives for assistance?” he questioned.
Pappas: ‘I serve all, but let’s talk about the irony’
However, Pappas said his role as mayor was to provide services for all and assist all residents, even those who may not have voted for him.
“Everyone has the right to seek assistance, regardless of political affiliation. This is clear in my post where I say I aim to serve all. However, there is an irony in publicly and actively supporting one political party while privately turning to someone from another party for help.
“This is especially true when you’ve actively opposed them in public (sometimes through the most divisive means),” he said.
Is Pappas being targeted?
Pappas said his comments were taken out of context by those who seek to target him because of his race, age, and sexuality.
“I believe my comments have been deliberately misinterpreted by those who oppose me or seek to spread negativity based on my race, gender, sexuality, or age.
“However, if we look at the overall response, including the likes and positive engagement on my X post, it’s clear that more people support my stance than oppose it,” he said.
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