South African minister of Arts, Sports and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, blamed the Democratic Alliance for the problems the people of Bo Kaap were facing. Mthethwa was speaking at ceremony announcing the declaration of various heritage sites in the Bo Kaap area.

At the end of 2018 there were clashes between developers, residents and Cape Town law enforcement officials as residents tried to stop new developments in the area as they feared the gentrification of the area. They appealed to the provincial government to declare the are a heritage site. Eventually the national government declared all sites desired by the residents as national heritage sites.

Cape Town and the Western Cape is politically controlled by the Democratic Alliance, the official opposition party. The Western Cape is the only province not controlled by the African National Congress, the party of Nelson Mandela.