‘Cheaters unite?’: DA campaign with Oubaas sparks debate

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde took to social media on Wednesday to rally support for his party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), ahead of the elections next week, using a well-known figure.

In a surprise endorsement, former 7de Laan actor Pierre van Pletzen, fondly known as “Oubaas”, publicly backed the DA, urging citizens to vote for the party.

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Winde shared a post featuring Oubaas, leveraging the popular actor’s influence to sway voters and bolster support for the DA’s campaign.

Pletzen wore a DA t-shirt with the slogan: “Vote DA. The Western Cape Works”.

“Even ‘Oubaas’ agrees that the Western Cape works!” Winde’s post read.

This lighthearted campaigning was met with a lot of humorous comments with some saying they don’t trust Oubaas because he cheated on Hilda.

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Hilda is a character who was portrayed as Oubaas’ wife on the popular Afrikaans show. Her character was played by Annelisa Weiland.

“He lost our respect when he cheated on Hilda. Nobody cares what he thinks,” one repost from @mpilokhumalo_ read.

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Netizens also questioned whether the DA is for cheaters, with some bringing up John Steenhuisen’s infidelity.

Steenhuisen, during a podcast with MacG and Sol Phenduka in 2022, revealed he cheated on his former wife.

“It wasn’t her, it was me. I told her that I met somebody. I fell in love with her and she’s now my wife,” the DA leader said.

Furthermore, while some netizens took Pletzen’s endorsement as being playful, others took it to heart. They acknowledged that the Western Cape works, but said it only works for the province’s white population.