Just as temperatures started picking up in the Johannesburg CBD, Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga received the coldest of welcomes when he visited the city’s notorious Noord taxi rank on Tuesday morning.

Msimanga visited the taxi rank during the DA's 'listening tour' as the party’s premier candidate for Gauteng in next year’s general elections.

Just as he turned from Twist Street into Hancock street, Msimanga started noticing the filth on the side of the road. Accompanied by journalists and a few DA support staff, Msimanga commented on it.

“This is not right. Look, the bin is empty but there is a lot of garbage next to it. We as residents ourselves are the ones who are doing this on a daily basis and it’s wrong. I can tell you now, in Tshwane, every night there are people who are cleaning. But come the very next morning after rush hour, it is like nothing has ever happened…We need to make sure that this thing is corrected,” said Msimanga.

But a man who seemed a little drunk took Msimanga on, arguing that it was not the local residents and people selling on the streets who bring filth into the area. Instead, he argued, it was people passing by who drop rubbish. The man, who was on crutches, then went on insulting the mayor.

“What you are speaking is not the truth,” he said. Msimanga did not appreciate his tone and immediately took him on.

“It is only 7 o’clock and you are already drinking,” he said, but the man was not buying his stance.

“Even if I drink, it is my right to drink. It is not your right. You don’t give me money to drink. You are talking nonsense here. It's not these people who are throwing [rubbish] here. Look at this one. He is cooking inyama yenhloko here but there is no cow skin around. You are crazy. Voet**k. F*** off. I am telling you. I am not scared of you,” the man said pointing one of his crutches at the Tshwane mayor.

While Msimanga tried to remain calm, the man continued to shout insults as he walked away.

“You are coming here to speak nonsense," Msimanga said. "Just go. Who do you think you are, drunk so early in the morning?”