38 Facts About Mmusi Maimane

Mmusi Maimane became the first black South African to lead the DA.

Mmusi Maimane is the former leader of the DA in the Johannesburg City Council and the DA National Spokesperson.

Mmusi Maimane formed the One South Africa Movement in 2020.

Mmusi Maimane launched his new political party, Build One South Africa on 24 September 2022.

Mmusi Maimane was born on 6 June 1980 in the Leratong Hospital in Krugersdorp.

Mmusi Maimane's father, Simon Maimane, was born in Soweto, and is of Tswana ancestry in the Bafokeng clan.

Mmusi Maimane's parents met in 1977 and were married by 1980 in Dobsonville, Soweto.

Mmusi Maimane grew up in Soweto, and attended Raucall and then Allen Glen High School, where he matriculated in 1997.

In 2010, Mmusi Maimane applied to run as a DA candidate for Johannesburg City Council and for internal election as the DA candidate for Mayor of Johannesburg.

Mmusi Maimane led a caucus of 90 members of the 260 seats in Johannesburg City Council.

Mmusi Maimane was selected as DA national spokesperson later in 2011.

At the 2012 DA Federal Congress, Mmusi Maimane was elected as the party's deputy federal chairperson, ahead of eight other candidates.

On 31 July 2013, Mmusi Maimane announced his intention to run for the DA nomination as a candidate for Premier of Gauteng in the 2014 elections at Baliskis in Alexandra.

Mmusi Maimane emerged as the duly elected DA Gauteng Premier candidate on 9 August 2013.

Ahead of the 2014 national elections, Mmusi Maimane appeared in a political advert titled "Ayisafani" which suggested that the ANC, under the leadership of Jacob Zuma, had fallen from grace.

Mmusi Maimane was the only candidate for the post of Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and was elected unopposed, becoming the first black man to hold the position in South Africa's history.

On 18 April 2015, at the DA Western Cape Congress, Mmusi Maimane announced that he would run for federal leader of the DA.

Mmusi Maimane was backed by prominent businessman Herman Mashaba and on 10 May 2015, Maimane was elected leader of the DA at the party's 2015 federal congress in Port Elizabeth.

Mmusi Maimane subsequently deleted the post, with the first instruction to do so apparently coming from former DA leader Zille.

Kohler Barnard apologised unreservedly for her action, and Mmusi Maimane subsequently demoted her to the position of shadow Deputy Minister of Public Works in a wider shadow cabinet reshuffle.

Kohler Barnard stated that she was considering her position, while Mmusi Maimane came under pressure to expel her from the DA, and his leadership was called into question.

Mmusi Maimane appeared increasingly weak in his responses to and management of the affair, whose fall-out threatened his leadership of the DA.

Zille subsequently apologised in light of the outrage generated, and Mmusi Maimane referred the matter to a DA disciplinary process.

Mmusi Maimane later admitted in June 2018 to difficulties in his relationship with Zille, as a result of her continued role as Premier of the Western Cape after he became party leader.

In October 2015, Mmusi Maimane was booed and chased from the University of Cape Town campus when he tried to address students protesting against fee increases, and was criticised by younger members of his own party for failing to show sufficient solidarity with students protesting over the increases.

Mmusi Maimane became embroiled in a controversy around declaration of interests as one of a number of MPs who failed to declare campaign contributions.

In January 2016, Mmusi Maimane set out a new stance for the DA on the issue of racism, in which he called on racists not to vote for the DA, and spelt out a charter on racism that all new DA members would have to commit to upon joining the party.

Mmusi Maimane announced that the DA would introduce equity targets when the DA selects candidates for public office in order to make the party more diverse and reflective of the country as a whole.

In January 2017, Mmusi Maimane made a visit to Israel, causing some controversy.

Mmusi Maimane received criticism from various quarters for demonstrating at the home, despite having previously spoken out against demonstrations at private homes.

In September 2018, reports speculated that Mmusi Maimane would run for the DA nomination as a candidate for Premier of the Western Cape in the 2019 elections.

Mmusi Maimane announced his resignation as federal leader of the DA on 23 October, ending months of speculation that he would be removed as party leader following the party's decline in the 2019 general elections.

In 2020, Mmusi Maimane launched the One South Africa Movement, a civic organisation.

Mmusi Maimane added that he will not form a new political party unlike his former colleague Mashaba.

Mmusi Maimane is currently Member of the National Assembly since 14th June 2024.

In July 2024, BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane was elected as Chairperson of Parliament's Standing Committee on Appropriations.

In 2022, Mmusi Maimane became a shareholder and business partner at investment house SiSebenza.

Mmusi Maimane said that while he was glad no one was hurt, this was a stark reminder of the high level of violent crime in the country.