In the wake of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Dr. Mmusi Maimane delivered a sharp critique of the administration’s economic record, arguing that the country’s failure to achieve meaningful growth stems from deep-seated issues of safety and political impunity.
Speaking shortly after the President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Maimane acknowledged several achievements highlighted by Ramaphosa, noting that South Africa’s removal from the greylist was a “good thing” and that projected quarter-to-quarter growth of 1.2% offered some optimism.
However, he stressed that these gains are insufficient. “Our problem with our economy is that it isn’t capable of creating the requisite jobs,” Maimane said. “It isn’t growing at a rate fast enough to keep up with population growth, and the reasons for that are inherently because South Africa is not safe.”
Maimane warned that investor confidence remains fragile, stating plainly: “People don’t throw investment in countries that are not safe.”
The BOSA leader also raised concern over the recent Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, predicting it would impact agricultural outputs. While he welcomed the President’s focus on expanding the country’s skills base, Maimane urged Ramaphosa to go further by increasing the target of skilled youth beyond 30% to absorb more young people entering the job market.
In his most pointed remarks, Maimane accused the government of selective accountability, insisting that corruption inquiries such as the Madlanga Commission have disproportionately targeted public officials while shielding politicians.
“You can’t have a Madlanga Commission in a corrupt culture, yet it’s only the officials who are the problem, not the politicians,” Maimane said. He called for binding mechanisms to enforce transparency, proposing that all task force and commission reports be tabled in Parliament monthly. “The people are able to see for themselves what the progress is,” he said.
Maimane concluded by urging the President to move beyond rhetoric. “If the president wants to change the system, I would urge him that he mustn’t just deliver an election speech. He must put deliberate action.”