‘Poo thrower in chief’ Loyiso Nkohla leaves politics after involvement with four parties

The man once dubbed the “poo thrower in chief”, Loyiso Nkohla, has announced his departure from politics.

This after his failed bid to become the Patriotic Alliance (PA) councillor in four Cape Town wards during the 2021 local government elections. Nkohla is also a former ANC councillor. 

“I have taken a personal decision not to continue being active politically under the banner of [the] Patriotic Alliance or any other political organisation for my personal development and my community at large,” he said in a statement on Monday. 

“This decision comes at a time when I am demanded by communities throughout many areas — from disadvantaged communities, particularly the informal settlements, backyard dwellers and social housing community — which continue to face illegal evictions and unlawful arrest and victimisation by some individuals who work for security agencies.”

Nkohla rose to national prominence around 2010, when he led the unconventional “poo protests”, transporting portable toilets from informal settlements and dumping their contents at key landmarks around the city, including Cape Town International Airport.

At the time, he claimed this was to highlight poor sanitation in informal settlements while Cape Town enjoyed rave reviews as a world class city.

The ANC expelled him as a result of the protests, TimesLIVE reported. 

Nkohla then formed the Land Party to contest the national elections in 2019. He quit the party a few months after an ultimately unsuccessful electoral contest.

He later worked with then DA mayor Patricia de Lille and was rewarded with a job at the city of Cape Town, but left a few years later after falling out with the party's then national leadership.

Nkohla has since thanked the leadership of the PA and apologised to all activists for his sudden departure.

“I wish to publicly apologise in advance to all activist and community members who forever believe in my abilities as an activist that the decision I have made is compulsory that I make it now and not wait any longer.

“I will be forever grateful for the support you have displayed towards me for so many years, thank you for not judging me, thank you for your continuous support to my activism which influences and informs my political development as a person.

“As I said before, I will never give up on you, I will remain your son, you remain my people, I am grateful indeed. We will meet soon and [I will] explain myself to you and my next step as we’ve been loyal to each other. Your love, respect, humility and ubuntu is what kept me going all my years of activism,” he said.

Nkohla did not specify what he would do next, other than say he would focus on his personal development and community work.

“Furthermore, I am grateful to have been part of a successful national campaign of Patriotic Alliance with a massive growth of the party during 2021 local government elections ... Thank you to leader Gayton [McKenzie], leader Kenny Kunene and the entire collective leadership for working together with me for the cause of our people.”

TimesLIVE