BOSA rates GNU’s 2025 performance at 50 percent, slams crime and education failures

Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Dr Mmusi Maimane has rated the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) performance in 2025 at 50%, citing both achievements and significant shortcomings.

Speaking on SABC, Maimane said the government had made some positive strides this year, including getting South Africa off the “grey list” and achieving a primary balance in the budget.

“More than anything, it’s worth realising the fact that we maintain that the GNU has remained at maybe 50%, given the fact that in many ways we had some good things that have happened this year,” he said.

However, he criticised the government for failing to produce a clear plan to address unemployment and safety.

Highlighting the recent death of DJ Warras, Maimane said the high level of violent crime reflected a broader failure in policing.

“Our police are not being run by the police minister, but the allegations, at least as tabled at the Madlanga Commission, indicate that our police are being run by criminals,” he said.

He also pointed to the Tembisa hospital scandal, where money was stolen and no arrests had been made, as an example of government dysfunction.

Looking ahead to 2026, Maimane said BOSA would continue championing education and policing reforms.

On education, he reiterated the party’s call to raise the matric pass mark from 30% to 50%, arguing that the current system leaves two out of three young people unemployed.

“So when the government wants to argue with me that we keep a 30% pass mark, this is the ultimate evidence in the fact that our young people are not finding jobs,” he said.

Maimane also called for stabilising policing by appointing a permanent police minister with a policing background and increasing resources for law enforcement.

“South Africa must ensure that it gets a police minister who is permanent in the post, who comes from the police, so that we can stabilise crime,” he said.

hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za 

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