MANGAUNG, Free State — Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Dr. Mmusi Maimane has officially launched the party’s 2026 Local Government Elections campaign in Mangaung, pledging to restore clean governance and essential service delivery to the struggling Free State metro.
Mangaung is one of 24 municipalities across the country that BOSA will contest in its inaugural local government election. The campaign trail kicked off in Thaba Nchu, where Maimane engaged with the Barolong royal house and local religious leaders before addressing the public.
A Push for Ethical and Professional Governance
Speaking to residents, Dr. Maimane emphasized that South Africa needs ethical leadership rooted in strong moral values. He noted that the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has faced severe governance failures, resulting in administrative interventions by both the President and the National Treasury. Maimane revealed that he had previously brought the municipal executive to Parliament in Cape Town to engage them on these failures.
“To stand for truth and clean governance is non-negotiable,” Maimane stated. He outlined a strict policy for BOSA-led councils, asserting that political affiliation must be completely removed from the selection of municipal officials, including city managers and chief financial officers.
“If you put BOSA into council, we will not care what the political affiliation of the official is. Let the person be the best qualified,” he explained, adding that the best engineers and urban planners must be hired based on merit. Furthermore, Maimane argued that marriage should be a requirement for those serving in councils, and that councilors must possess the appropriate qualifications to properly interrogate municipal budgets.
Eradicating Pit Toilets and Fixing Infrastructure
Thabo, BOSA’s Mangaung mayoral candidate, echoed the leader’s sentiments, placing the dignity of residents at the forefront of the party’s local manifesto. He heavily criticized the ongoing reliance on pit toilets, often referred to as VIP toilets, in the metro.
“There is nothing VIP about those toilets. We must make sure that every household in Mangaung gets proper flushing toilets,” Thabo said. He promised that a BOSA administration would do away with corruption and employ permanent professionals and young artisans to build sewer networks, install flushing toilets, and repair the municipality’s pothole-ridden roads.
Beyond sanitation and roads, Maimane highlighted the urgent need to address the ongoing water crisis and resolve unfunded mandates, such as local clinics, to ensure communities are prioritized over politicians.
Traditional Leadership Calls for Community Alignment
During the visit to the Barolong royal house, Monarch Kgosi Gaboilelwe Moroka urged the political party to align its strategies with the existing vision of the community rather than imposing external ideas.
The monarch cautioned against the traditional political cycle where parties visit rural and traditional areas every five years, only to “chop and change” policies once in power, which ultimately derails sustainable development. She emphasized that for local communities to attain sustainable livelihoods, political parties must work collaboratively and allow residents to take ownership of their own development.
Continuing the Campaign Trail
Following the engagements with traditional and religious leaders, the BOSA delegation continued its campaign by visiting various churches in Thaba Nchu to spread their manifesto. As the 2026 Local Government Elections draw closer, the party faces the challenge of translating its policy promises into a message that deeply resonates with voters on the ground, ensuring that service delivery remains at the heart of their democratic engagement.
