KwaZulu-Natal Premier Mr Sihle Zikalala has dismissed as baseless and contemptuous the false allegations that his family home in the north of Durban, received preferential treatment from a tanker that was meant to supply water to the disaster-stricken community.

This follows the calculated circulation of digitally-manipulated video footage which shows the tanker supplying water to his home.

The video is carefully choreographed and strategically selected to create a false narrative to distract from the intervention the Premier did first to communities in his neighbourhood who asked him for assistance knowing he lived in the area.

The Premier like the rest of the community had been without water but this did not deter him from leading the current disaster.

The Premier has been on the ground since the day disaster struck.

Reacting to the video earlier today, Premier Zikalala said: “What that video does not show or fails to mention is that I was approached by members of the community who had been struggling due to a shortage of water as a result of the floods.

“I together with the community have gone for days without water. I then requested assistance after members of the community pleaded for my assistance knowing I lived in the area.

Actually all the other days my wife and kids had been fetching water on buckets.

To me this is not new as I grew up fetching water and I still do today when situations demand.

We did eventually receive a response and the tanker came to the area.

The video fails to mention that the tanker actually provided water to the local residents and supplied many of them with the much-needed water before also filling at my home.

“Now, for this person to present the video in a way that implies that only my family got the water is blatant propaganda, uncalled-for, mischievous and malicious.

“It is disingenuous, and certainly something that must be viewed with the contempt that it deserves.

It is intended to distract and continue the campaign of creating a trust deficit between us as leaders and the people. The intended purpose is to peddle falsehoods.

We have all been deeply affected by this disaster but the community will always come first. In fact, before the tanker arrived in our neighbourhood, my wife had personally gone to fetch water and carried a buckets on her own. She has also actively been providing food supplies and necessities to people who are being housed at the local community hall after losing their homes.

That positive work we have been doing is ignored by the agent provocateurs whose sole intention is to besmirch and demonise me and my family. It is most unfortunate but we understand it’s the price we have to pay for leadership.

These sideshows will never deter us or defocus us from the task at hand. Lies and it’s short legs will soon be exposed.