'The ANC Is Dying’: Boy Mamabolo launches ‘Born to Win’ after explosive resignation

“The ANC is dying, there’s no unity. Everyone is doing as they please.” That’s how former ANC MP Boy Mamabolo, who recently dumped the party, described his resignation from the party.

He accused the party of hypocrisy, internal abuse, and failure to deal with widespread corruption - particularly in Limpopo.

Mamabolo, a vocal figure in ANC politics for years, announced the launch of a new political movement aimed at challenging the ANC’s hold on local government. 

His party was originally called ‘Mandela For President.’ The party will now be rebranded ‘Born to Win’ after the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) rejected the original name and branding, citing concerns it could mislead voters into thinking it was affiliated with the ANC or former president Nelson Mandela.

Speaking to IOL News, Mamabolo confirmed the new name and said the party will adopt royal blue and yellow as its official colours.

“We were all born to win. Many people across the country are going through hardships. The ANC is no longer giving them hope,” he said. 

“Whether you are rich or poor, educated or not, during elections, they tell you to vote. But when it’s time to deploy councillors or MPs, they tell you that you are not educated enough. We are saying to everyone: you are born to win.”

In his resignation letter on Monday, addressed to Limpopo ANC provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe, Mamabolo said he could “no longer endure the abuse” he claims to have suffered within the party.

“This was a very difficult and emotional decision,” he wrote, adding that the organisation he once served had “turned its back” on him.

He said the new party is already gathering signatures in support of its registration, with the aim of collecting one million by November.

“We have already started the process. The IEC requires only 1,000 signatures, but we are aiming for one million. So far, we’ve gathered close to 20,000,” he said.

According to Mamabolo, many of the signatures have come from former ANC and EFF members, as well as individuals who have never belonged to any political party.

He said the party is targeting the 2026 local government elections, with the goal of contesting the 2029 general elections. 

Mamabolo said the party is targeting the 2026 local government elections and ultimately plans to contest the 2029 general elections.

“We want our policies to be written by the public, not by certain people. Once we understand how people want local government to run, we will use that to shape our national strategy.”

Mamabolo said the party’s primary focus would be fighting corruption and addressing poor service delivery in municipalities led by the ANC, particularly in Limpopo.

He claimed corruption is rife both at Polokwane municipality and Mogalakwena local municipality.

“Mogalakwena is one of the largest municipalities in Limpopo, after Polokwane and is facing serious challenges including potholes, water shortages. Money is allocated, but there’s no visible change.”

He accused the ANC of failing to act on corruption, despite years of promising to do so.

“The ANC keeps saying it’s fighting corruption, but it’s failed to implement anything. We will show them how it’s done.”

When asked why he’s speaking out now, Mamabolo said he had long raised concerns about corruption within the ANC.

“I raised these issues internally while I was still in the party. We tried to build the ANC, but our efforts led nowhere.”

He added that the ANC today is no longer the organisation he joined years ago.

“The ANC is dying. There’s no unity…Everyone is doing as they please.”

Mamabolo said that his relationship with the ANC had deteriorated over the years.

“The relationship was not good. There were ups and downs. We even went to court over internal conflicts, including disputes about conference outcomes” he told IOL News.

His resignation follows a series of controversies, including a suspension earlier this year over alleged defamatory remarks posted on social media about ANC Women’s League member Onnica Moloi. 

A court later ordered him to deactivate his Facebook account due to complaints about online misconduct.

Meanwhile, ANC Limpopo provincial spokesperson Jimmy Machaka confirmed to IOL News that the party had accepted Mamabolo’s resignation.

“The ANC in Limpopo can confirm that it received a letter of resignation from former comrade Boy Mamabolo. We have accepted his resignation and wish him all the best as he pursues a new political path,” said Machaka.

He rejected Mamabolo’s claims, including that the ANC had failed to address corruption.

“We do not agree with his suggestion that the ANC has failed to deal with corruption in municipalities. From time to time, we instruct our deployees to cooperate with law enforcement where any wrongdoing is suspected,” Machaka said.

“Anyone with evidence of corruption should approach law enforcement agencies, rather than raising such issues as public stunts.”

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

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