Malema more likely to be in government than Maimane

Is there a chance for Build One South Africa (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane to become the president of South Africa after next year’s general election?

There was a time many people felt Maimane would be a suitable head of state one day. But it is unclear if many still share this sentiment after he recently revealed he was gunning for the top post.

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Sure, being president of a country is an honour and an opportunity almost every politician desires. So, it is no surprise that Maimane is gearing up in his attempt to reach the top echelons of the government in the 2024 general election.

The question arises whether the former Democratic Alliance (DA) leader can make his dream come true after failing to do so when he had the opportunity, the support and the constituency of the second-largest political party in South Africa behind him.

He is taking chances, and it is now understood why he has been fiercely advocating for independent candidates to contest national and provincial elections – because he wants a shortcut to the highest office in the land.

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Even though it seems unlikely that independent candidates will play a huge role in the 2024general election, one wonders how Maimane can expect to be voted in as president, given that our electoral system is proportionally representative and benefits the largest political party, which is currently the ANC.

Becoming state president is currently an unrealistic ideal for Maimane. What he can hope for, though, is to garner support to win one or two seats in parliament, just like the Pan Africanist Congress or the Congress of the People.

Currently, the electorate is more comfortable with the ANC, DA and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). Hence, there’s absolutely no way he can have a solid footing to demand being voted in as state president by parliamentarians when his numbers won’t even amount to the EFF’s.

LISTEN: Maimane lays out Build One SA’s election ambitions for 2024

Maimane got national recognition because of his position in the DA. However, without that support structure, he has been shelved in political history, and many have forgotten about him.

If asked who Maimane is, most people won’t identify him as the leader of Bosa. However, they will remember him as a black leader who became a failed experiment to get the DA into power through the back door.

Unlike EFF leader Julius Malema, Maimane lacks a solid constituency. This ultimately makes Malema more likely to be in government if the 2024 elections result in a coalition government. Malema has the power behind him to be a kingmaker. Maimane is not close to being a political kingmaker. To expect to become president of South Africa is a pipe dream of note.

Furthermore, Maimane believes in right-wing policies, which most South Africans don’t identify with. He looks determined to ensure South Africa is a lackey and loses its independence from the claws of the Western countries. This makes it hard for him to connect with Soweto, the sought-after constituency, even though he is originally from there.

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Maimane still lacks the niche that is required to resonate well with the majority constituency of South Africa. He should have teamed up with Herman Mashaba to form ActionSA.

Maybe then he would have managed to build a stronger political footprint than he has now.