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Former ANC Member of Parliament Boy Mamabolo is preparing to launch a new political party under the name Born To Win, marking a significant shift in his decades-long relationship with the African National Congress. This comes after he formally resigned from the ruling party, citing internal manipulation, exclusion, and what he describes as elitist practices that marginalise grassroots members.
On Tuesday, Mamabolo is expected to write to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to inform them of his decision to withdraw an appeal regarding the initial rejection of his proposed party name, “Mandela For President.” The IEC had declined to register the party, raising concerns that its branding and name could mislead voters by evoking the legacy of Nelson Mandela and mimicking the ANC’s green-and-black colour scheme.
Mamabolo told the Mail & Guardian that the decision to rename the party was strategic. “We are coming with a new name and we have attained more than 10,000 signatures. We are going to submit that name to the IEC,” he said. “To get 10,000 signatures, whereas the IEC requires only 1,000, is not child’s play.”
The new party, Born To Win, is intended to represent ordinary South Africans, especially those Mamabolo claims have been sidelined by the ANC’s leadership. “The party is called Born To Win because every South African was born to win, no matter their background,” he said. “It is the opposite of what the ANC is doing for the elites. We are saying to everyone, come and join us because we were all born to win.”
Mamabolo believes his party will attract disillusioned members from both the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), asserting that many grassroots supporters feel increasingly alienated. He indicated that several prominent ANC figures in Limpopo may join Born To Win after the province’s upcoming elective conference.
“They are likely to have an early provincial conference. Once they get moored at the provincial conference, most of them are going to want to join us,” he said.
The Mail & Guardian recently reported that Polokwane mayor John Mpe, Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba, and Mopani district mayor Pule Shayi are the leading contenders for the position of ANC provincial chairperson as the party prepares for elections next year. Some branches have called for the conference to be held earlier than planned to focus on the 2026 campaign.
On Monday, Mamabolo made his break from the ANC official. He sent resignation letters to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and Limpopo provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe, declaring his intention to terminate his nearly three-decade-long membership.
In the letter, Mamabolo criticised the ANC leadership for removing him from the party’s parliamentary list, despite what he says was valid nomination by ANC branches. He accused Mpe and Madadzhe of manipulating the candidate list and claimed he was unlawfully excluded from returning to the National Assembly.
“I had to pay R300,000 to challenge this in court. When I tried to move on, you blocked our move to establish a political party called Mandela For President. Your objection was approved by the IEC because you clearly want me to be a failed politician,” Mamabolo wrote.
Describing the ANC as a party that “eats its own children,” Mamabolo added: “I cannot tolerate this, and I want out. Like former president Jacob Zuma said when he resigned as the president, ‘we will meet somewhere’.”
He further criticised the ANC’s recent requirement that all public representatives must hold a post-matric qualification, calling the rule elitist and exclusionary. “Our target is those whom they view as uneducated – the ground forces. You can’t be going around meeting the elites; those are not the voters,” he said.
Mamabolo predicts that the Limpopo elective conference will mark the beginning of the end for the ANC’s dominance in the province, asserting that voters deserve leaders who come from and understand their lived experiences.