3 min read
27 September 2022
22:30

The former DA leader Mmusi Maimane launched his political party this past weekend, shortly after he parted ways with a party he had served for six years.

The launch of the “Build One South Africa” political party was held in Naledi in Soweto.

Maimane is known for his extensive political knowledge, and Radio Islam International interviewed the BOSA leader.

According to the new political party leader, the Build a South Africa political party is mainly about building a South Africa that people want to see.

He said he always wanted to reform the electoral Act to allow for direct elections for citizens.

Furthermore, he said they have realised that parliament fails to comply with the constitutional court and the people’s will as a party and citizens.

He said that he acknowledges that people want to elect people who can directly represent them, and that is what he is offering to the people, to be able to choose a person or party that they want to put their trust in, given that the country is dealing with load shedding, the crime rate is high and kids are not getting the education they deserve.

He said, “We cannot wait for parliament to do its job. So, I decided that we needed a political party to compete against the current status on its terms and ultimately will be able to bring communities under one body to say let us work together, to build a South Africa we want to see.”

Hence, the party’s name is “Build One South Africa.”

“It is the formation of the fact that we saw progress; now it is time to build,” he added.

Maimane said in the overall 300 political parties that contested the local government election last year, only 12 are in parliament, and in that 12, you need to highlight and think of new ideas and look deeper into what it is that they are not doing but is a need in the country.

“Up until today, I still get citizens from the rural areas and urban centres, who say despite the 12 political parties in parliament, they need an alternative,” he said.

He said citizens want a non-racial organisation that fights for jobs, gives them power, and helps them with education.

He said, “Truth is citizens have not exercised their choices around the parties currently in parliament.”

He said that as an organisation, they seek to empower citizens, which is why they have made it a constitution of the party that communities must nominate the candidate they want to stand for, unlike the other political parties who produce a list of names to be voted, and sometimes they do not even reveal their candidate.

He said they also seek to put a job in every household. They will ensure that micro-enterprises and enterprises in communities are supported by introducing venture capital to ensure that business is scaled up.

He said they have a two-year plan in place to deal with infrastructure, load shedding, and water infrastructure and also to ensure that the safety of citizens is prioritised by moving the national police to become more regionalised police so that they can respond closely to the needs of the people.

“The name to look for in the 2024 Voting Ballot is “Build One South Africa,” said Maimane

He concluded that coalitions are the future as we approach the 2024 election.

“We are looking at sharing the vision, organising the principle, and ensuring that citizens are at the centre of the conversation,” he said

[LISTEN] to the podcast here

By Nokwanda Dlangamandla
kzn@radioislam.org.za