Launched in Naledi Soweto just 15 months ago, the Build One South Africa (Bosa) movement held its first manifesto launch at the heart of Johannesburg on Sunday.
Former Democratic Alliance leader and now Bosa leader Mmusi Maimane vowed to tackle South Africa’s high unemployment rate while improving the country’s education system.
Maimane received a hero’s welcome during Bosa’s manifesto launch as he ascended to the podium just after lunchtime on Sunday.
He promised scores of his supporters who had gathered at the event that the party would create at least 2 million jobs in the next five years.
He said that no household in South Africa should be jobless.
“I’ve said it to you and I will say this to you again. This year we are going to deliver in the next five years when we come into government, a government that delivers 2 million jobs in every household in this country. Amandla.”
Maimane claimed that the creation of jobs under Bosa will in turn help tackle food insecurity in the country, adding that the party will ensure that no person in South Africa goes to bed hungry.
“It’s a moment in our country where you feel like you need David to take down Goliath. We need to be able to look at the Giants in our land, whether those are giants of poverty and unemployment, and we need to say, we need more and more Davids in all our communities to fight to bring change.”
“One of the giants that we face is that we live in different South Africa. We live in South Africa where others wake up in the morning to throw away food while others don’t have food.”
Power utility Eskom also took centre stage during Maimane’s speech on Sunday. This is as South Africans have been battling rolling blackouts for years under the African National Congress government.
But Maimane has assured South Africans that under Bosa, Eskom’s load shedding will be a thing of the past.
“Under Bosa, we are going to introduce SMRs that [will] ensure that we can keep the lights on, fix Eskom and employ the best people. So that none of us in the next two years don’t have to face load shedding. Ha load shedding e fele, ba re bolaya batho ba [these people are killing us].”
Maimane, who has also been vocal against the country’s schooling system, also criticised the government for the low matric pass rate.
He deplored the government’s low standards of education, including the 30% pass rate, which he said was stifling the country’s learners.
“It is not the stupidity of our children or anything like that. It’s a government that wants to treat them and reduce them to that. That is why I say you miseducate our children, you oppress them. Our children are diverse and talented. Let’s give them the best opportunity to shine,” explained Maimane.
Maimane, who is no stranger to politics, served as the DA leader from 2015 until he resigned from the party in 2019. He thereafter formed Build One South Africa in September 2022.
He will contest the upcoming general elections for the first time this year.
Below is Bosa’s manifesto launch
