POLKWANE, LIMPOPO — The newly formed Born To Win (BTW) political party has officially set its sights on the Polokwane Municipality, with its founder and president, former ANC MP Boy Mamabolo, spearheading the campaign ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
With exactly 30 days remaining until the November 4 polls, the party is accelerating its grassroots mobilization, aiming to unseat the ruling party by addressing severe service delivery challenges and unresolved community matters in the region.
A New Political Force in Limpopo
Born To Win was formally established in May 2026 and officially launched on July 18, coinciding with Nelson Mandela’s birthday. The party’s formation follows Mamabolo’s departure from the African National Congress (ANC) after he was dropped as a Member of Parliament in the previous elections.
Interestingly, the party initially attempted to register under the name “Mandela for President,” but the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) rejected the moniker, leading to the adoption of its current, highly motivational name.
“We come from different backgrounds and poor backgrounds for that matter,” Mamabolo explained regarding the party’s name. “We are saying no matter who you are, no matter how you grew up, you are born to win, and nobody can take that away from you.”
Reprioritizing the Budget: Service Delivery Over Festivities
At the core of Born To Win’s campaign is a fierce critique of the current municipal leadership’s financial priorities. Mamabolo, who is the party’s official mayoral candidate for Polokwane, highlighted what he described as a misallocation of public funds.
“The current leadership is focusing on street festive lights, spending R15 million on festivals with artists and alcohol,” Mamabolo stated. “We are going to reprioritize the budget and take it to the rural areas. Why should you throw a R15 million festival when you can erect boreholes for villages that do not have water?”
The party points to glaring infrastructure failures, noting that despite a R400 million water treatment plant recently handed over to the municipality, many residents still lack running water. Mamabolo also criticized the local mayor’s focus on marathons and fitness events, arguing that basic services like tar roads, working street lights, and clean water must take precedence over recreational municipal spending.
Community-Led Approach to Gender-Based Violence
Beyond infrastructure, Born To Win is taking a proactive stance on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), treating it as a critical community pandemic rather than solely a government issue.
During recent community engagements in Seshego, the party announced plans to revive the “street committee” system of the early 1990s to combat GBV at the household and neighborhood levels.
“Combating GBV starts with you and me as neighbors, as members of the household, and as community members,” Mamabolo noted. “Before you are a member of a particular political party, you are a member of the community. We have resolved to reestablish these street committees to ensure we are looking out for the safety of our children and women.”
Coalition Stance and Grassroots Motivation
Born To Win is targeting several municipalities across the region, including Polokwane and Makhuduthamaga. While the party’s ultimate goal is to secure an outright majority, Mamabolo clarified their stance on post-election coalitions.
“We are going there to win,” Mamabolo affirmed. “If we do not reach 50%, we will look for parties that share similar views with us. However, we are not going to play hard to get or hold the municipality hostage. The municipality must work.”
The party’s message of empowerment and decisive action has already resonated with local candidates and residents. Frank Bruno, a ward 13 councillor candidate residing in Giyani Valley, cited the leadership’s passion as his primary motivation for joining the movement.
“There are many challenges in the city of Polokwane,” Bruno said. “What motivated me is that we are going to have a chance to kick out the ruling party in the council here with Born To Win.”
Echoing this sentiment, party member William emphasized the philosophical core of the movement: “The motto ‘winners’ means that each and every child is born to win in this world because no one is born to be a loser.”
Breaking Ties with the ANC
Addressing his departure from the ANC, Mamabolo dismissed claims that he is merely a “disgruntled” former member. He likened his exit to leaving an abusive marriage, stating that the “divorce papers” were signed last year.
“In any abusive relationship, the heart that leaves first is the one that realizes it can no longer endure the abuse,” Mamabolo explained, drawing parallels to the recent political struggles of fellow ANC figure Andile Lungisa. “We experienced too much abuse from elders of the ANC who are not grounded with the masses. We have gained thousands of members in just three months, and we are going to take this municipality back to our people.”
As the November 4 election date approaches, Born To Win continues to hold weekly Sunday strategy meetings, finalizing an election manifesto focused on the daily, lived experiences of the residents rather than complex political jargon.
