CAPE TOWN, Western Cape — Ahead of the 2026 local government elections, Build One South Africa (BOSA) has officially launched its community-driven election campaign, “The Next Chapter,” during a strategic address at one of the Mother City’s most notorious crime hotspots. BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane and Cape Town mayoral candidate Roger Solomons emphasized a people-focused approach to governance, explicitly rejecting the city’s proposed R120 million wall project in Nyanga as an ineffective solution to systemic safety challenges.
The campaign introduction took place at the intersection of Borcherds Quarry and the N2 highway in Nyanga, an area heavily plagued by violent crime. The location was chosen to directly address a controversial municipal proposal to construct a massive barrier at a cost of nearly R120 million. BOSA firmly opposed the initiative, arguing that building physical walls to separate communities fails to address the root causes of crime and does not ensure public safety.
Addressing the crowd, Mmusi Maimane highlighted the critical importance of efficient local municipalities for the broader success of the nation. He stressed that state capture at the local level must be eradicated to ensure cities are run effectively.
Maimane noted that municipalities are often the epicenters of crime and corruption, necessitating a complete overhaul of local leadership. He posed a critical question regarding the future of the region, asking what the “next chapter” of the city should look like and urging that progress must be extended to all residents, not just a privileged few.
“We live in a city. We live at a local [level], and therefore municipalities must work so that they’re safe for the people,” Maimane stated, emphasizing that when local government functions properly, the entire country benefits.
Following Maimane, BOSA’s mayoral candidate for Cape Town, Roger Solomons, outlined the party’s comprehensive strategy for community safety. His approach shifts away from relying on divisive infrastructure projects and instead focuses on visible law enforcement, intelligence-led crime prevention, and a fully functioning local government.
Solomons critiqued the current administration’s track record, questioning the fundamental purpose of the city’s governance over the past two decades. “After 20 years of the current chapter, there’s a different question that needs to be answered. And it’s not if the city of Cape Town is working. It’s who it’s working for,” Solomons asked.
Highlighting the economic and social pressures on residents, Solomons pointed out that the vast majority of Capetonians are struggling. He noted that ordinary citizens are finding it increasingly difficult to live in the city, start or run businesses, and raise families in a decent environment.
“What we are saying as Build One South Africa is that you and I, we’re playing by the rules, we’re paying our taxes, we’re trying to raise a decent family, but still we feel left behind and squeezed out of the city of Cape Town,” Solomons explained, attributing these hardships to the failures of the current political chapter.
