Build One SA: Pass rates and skills development the party’s priority

Build One South Africa (Bosa) is promising “a job in every home”, a bold statement which shouts from its posters. Under the leadership of Mmusi Maimane, the campaign has been gaining significant traction in recent weeks.

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But what lies beneath this singular slogan because, unlike some of the competing rhetoric that often focuses on rescuing South Africa or taking action to reach specific goals, Bosa’s message embodies a gentler, more socially focused vision?

Changes in the health sector

Should Maimane become president and Bosa the governing party, National Health Insurance (NHI) would be cut down before it was implemented.

“National Health Insurance as envisaged by the ANC is going to be devastating for this country,” he said.

“We will have profound skills flee this country and, ultimately, it’ll drain the fiscus.”

Bosa would implement a system where the state underwrote medical costs, public or private.

“The best leadership will be appointed in hospitals that are offering primary health care with the state acting as an underwriter. Anybody will be able to go to a private facility looking for primary health care support – and the state will finance it.

“This also allows medical aid holders access to public hospitals for specialist treatment, with medical aid footing the bill.”

In other words, the state would become a medical aid for those who could not afford health care. Maimane’s view of stateowned companies (SOEs) is simple: whether it’s SA Airways or Transnet, he said, their mandates would be reviewed and if their services were no longer required, he would shut them down.

He would launch an incentive-based scheme for public sector staffers while launching a recruitment drive to professionalise the civil service.

“There will be mandatory performance contracts with senior government employees, managed by a service provider from outside government,” he said.

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Should Bosa step into power, Maimane planned to immediately go after and prosecute the 97 ANC individuals named in the Zondo commission Report into State Capture.

“We will implement continuous forensic lifestyle audits through an ethics ombud of all politicians and senior government officials.

“This will investigate bank accounts, debit payments, school fees payments, trust accounts and all money that changed hands with politicians. We will decentralise policing,” said Maimane.

“Policing must be brought down to a localised level, member numbers increased and aggregated with metro police services and private security companies to bolster service.

“We will override response times by pooling a local panic number so whichever vehicle is closest, whether public or private, responds immediately.”

He believed localised policing would also allow for better intelligence and ensure police officials were better trained, able to respond and collect evidence more efficiently so criminals were brought to justice quickly and effectively.

The unemployment problem

South Africa’s lingering youth unemployment challenge is an issue he would tackle by first focusing on skills development, ensuring pass rates across all shapes of education improved.

“I propose a R220 billion investment into township economies to make sure that SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] can be stimulated,” he said.

An expanded public works programme would ensure more young people could find work and more citizens could work closer to home. Not dissimilar to the Patriotic Alliance’s conscription idea, Maimane would offer young people a national civilian service programme.

“It’s a one-year programme where we can place them somewhere they can earn a living, spending six months being trained and six months getting practical work experience.

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“An additional focus on key sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, tourism and mining will ensure we get behind South African entrepreneurs to be able to achieve a job in every home.”

Inner cities must be rebuilt with a clampdown on crime, substance addiction must be dealt with through launching skills development programmes. A focus on infrastructure, Maimane believed, was critical to attracting investment.

“Once we fix energy and transport, investment will arrive on our shores, jobs created and communities uplifted.” He said the entire energy sector must be deregulated.

Saving South Africa, according to Build One SA’s Mmusi Maimane, will take “a Bosa-led national government that will forge a shared heritage”.

It will capitalise on the goodwill of the people and on its diverse talent pool to weave a social fabric of resilience that is attractive to all.