CAPE TOWN, Western Cape — Build One South Africa (BOSA) has officially announced Roger Solomons as its Cape Town mayoral candidate, setting the stage for the party’s Local Government Elections campaign this November. Party leader Mmusi Maimane unveiled the candidacy in Nyanga, emphasizing that public safety and economic affordability will define the party’s vision for the city’s future.
The announcement was strategically held at the corner of Borcherds Quarry and the N2 Highway in Nyanga, an area widely recognized as a notorious crime hotspot. Addressing community members, Maimane highlighted a stark national reality, stating that more people die in South Africa daily than in countries experiencing active wars. He argued that no economy can grow without safety and that citizens currently do not feel protected in their daily lives.
Maimane strongly criticized the city’s proposed “N2 wall,” arguing that the infrastructure is designed to hide communities rather than tackle the root causes of crime. Instead of building barriers, he urged city leadership to redirect those funds toward practical, proven solutions: equipping police officers with body cameras, providing better police vehicles, improving street lighting, and increasing metro police visibility.
“Unless all of us are safe, none of us are safe,” Maimane asserted, adding that another life lost in Cape Town is another South African gone, and emphasized that the time to act is now.
Roger Solomons, the newly announced mayoral candidate, outlined his vision to bring a “sober voice” and genuine representivity to all Cape Town residents. He noted that after engaging with the community on the campaign trail for several months, it is clear the majority feel squeezed out of the city, finding it increasingly difficult to live, run a business, or raise a family.
Operating under the campaign slogan “The Next Chapter,” Solomons emphasized that the political focus must shift from asking *if* the city is working to asking *who* it is working for. His primary policy pillars are affordability—specifically regarding accommodation and housing—and tackling crime, which he identified as the number one issue preventing residents from living freely and without fear dictating their every decision.
To address the affordability crisis, Solomons committed to conducting a full audit of all land and city assets within his first 90 days in office. Acknowledging that an asset register may already exist, he pledged that under his leadership, this list will be made fully visible, accessible, and transparent. The goal is to identify repurposable properties that would allow residents, particularly young professionals who currently spend over a quarter of their wages on commuting, to live closer to economic opportunities.
Concluding his address, Solomons praised the neighborhood watchers, ratepayers, non-governmental organizations, and faith-based sectors that are already working to keep streets safe. He affirmed that BOSA’s commitment is to empower these community forums, which are already doing the work of government, to ensure the next chapter of Cape Town works for everyone, not just a privileged few.
