Africa-Press – South-Africa. Nelson Mandela Bay Deputy Mayor Mkhuseli Jack is backing Mmusi Maimane’s new political party, Build One South Africa (Bosa), to help build a push for power last seen with the United Democratic Front (UDF) during apartheid.
Jack had no kind words for the ANC’s governance of the country, saying everything placed in the party’s hands had collapsed.
The struggle veteran was speaking on Saturday on the sidelines of the launch of Bosa in Naledi, Soweto.
Jack is a businessman, former ANC member and freedom fighter.
He left the ANC in 2008 and focused on business.
Jack returned to politics in 2021, and founded the political and civic organisation Abantu Integrity Movement (AIM), which he used to contest in the 2021 municipal elections.
AIM is based in Gqeberha.
The organisation forms part of the larger One South Africa Movement (OSA), formed by Maimane in January 2020.
The OSA-led cohort of organisations worked with independent candidates to run in the 2021 municipal elections.
Jack was one of the councillors elected last year.
Last week, he was elected as the deputy mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro after a DA-led political party coalition toppled the ANC out of office.
Because electoral legislation does not yet allow independent candidates to run in national and provincial elections, Maimane and his fellow activists have created Bosa to enable independent candidates to contest elections.
Jack described Bosa’s mission as being focused on toppling the ANC and getting into the government.
He compared the new political party to the UDF, an organisation created during the 1980s to consolidate more than 400 associations in the fight against apartheid.
The UDF was disbanded in 1991.
“The approach will be similar, but we want to get into government this time. Previously, it was to bring down the government. The ANC has collapsed everything – the criminal justice system, law and order, everything is down,” Jack told News24.
He will serve as the national chairperson of Bosa.
His decision to support Maimane was simple, Jack said. He believed in the former DA leader’s vision and desire to change the country’s political fortunes.
He said:
“As we walked into Soweto today (Saturday), people were already drinking in the morning. That is why we need sober-minded leaders who have moral values and can be trusted and valued. When Maimane had differences with his political party, he did not argue with them and did not change his position. He just walked away,” Jack said.
In his position as Bosa national chairperson, Jack will serve as deputy mayor of the troubled Nelson Mandela Bay metro.
The deputy mayor said he would be able to find the time to do both jobs.
“I have done many things in my life, and this task as deputy mayor and chairperson, I can do just as well,” Jack said.
Bosa would be launched in all nine provinces by the end of the year, Maimane said on Saturday.
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