Born To Win takes its manifesto to the streets, and to the potholes
Boy Mamabolo's new party is finalising a manifesto it says will be written in the language of burst pipes, dark streets and gender-based violence, with rural municipalities first in its sights.
A new political party is asking voters to judge it on burst pipes and broken street lights rather than polished language.
Born To Win, led by Boy Mamabolo, held a consultative meeting in Sasho at the weekend as it finalises its manifesto for the municipal elections on 4 November. The party’s manifesto launch is set for 1 November, days before polls open.
Speaking to supporters, Mamabolo said the document would be written in plain terms. A manifesto, he argued, is not about “big English” but about what people deal with daily. Water that does not run from a tap belongs in a manifesto, he said. So does a pothole you drive over, or a street light that stays dark when you walk at night.
He also said the party would engage on gender-based violence, putting the issue among the themes it intends to campaign on.
Born To Win has named some of its candidates for the municipalities it will contest, including Pulani and Faku. Mamabolo said the party is deliberately targeting rural municipalities, pointing to Faku as an example. Residents there do not have water, he said, and the area faces serious corruption challenges. He named the current mayor as a target of that criticism and said the party would fix the situation once it takes over.
The party’s supporters at the meeting said they were hopeful it would address the challenges their communities face. One supporter said the party’s name carried a simple promise, that everyone born is born to win rather than to lose, and that it would open more opportunities and chances for people. Another said he and his family had joined Born To Win because other parties had not treated them well.
Born To Win is one of several new entrants contesting the local government elections, where control of councils and the delivery of basic services sit with the same office. For voters in rural municipalities, the contest will be decided on the same questions Mamabolo put at the centre of his pitch: whether water reaches a tap, whether streets are lit and whether councils spend public money honestly.
Source: SABC News (YouTube), 2026 LGE | Born To Win party targets GBV-related issues
