Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel and Nathi Mthethwa the minister of Arts, Sports & Culture campaigned on behalf of the ruling African National Congress in the historic area of Bo Kaap ahead of the national general elections on 8 May 2019.

Bo Kaap was formerly known as the Malay Slave Quarter during colonial times and is one of Cape Town and South Africa's oldest neighbourhoods. In 2018 there were numerous clashes between Cape Town Law Enforcement officers, property developers and residents, as residents protested against new developments which they said were forcing them out of their homes.

Residents appealed to national government to declare the area a national heritage sight in order to fend off gentrification of the area. The City of Cape Town and the Western Cape is politically controlled by the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's official opposition party.

Minister Nathi Mthethwa declared a list of all the sites required by residents as national heritage sites.