Maimane reinvents DA newsletter with Bokamoso

    Newly elected Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane this week released the first in a series of video addresses aimed at voters. The series – or “conversations” as Maimane refers to it – is titled Bokamoso, which is means “The Future” in Maimane’s mother tongue, Setswana.

    “I chose this name because the DA is the party of the future. And we are driven by the idea of building a better tomorrow for all South Africans,” he says at the start of the address.

    The series replaces former DA leader Helen Zille’s newsletter SA Today. It’s a smart move from Maimane, who will be seeking to win over new voters in the run-up to the local elections next year.

    Maimane speaks to viewers in both English and Setswana. The address bears some resemblance to the campaign videos we’ve seen from the US lately, and ends with an upbeat, “I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work. And I’d love for as many South Africans as possible to join me.”

    Maimane comes off as genuine and approachable, and with a video that clocks in at just over three minutes, not overly long-winded. But will potential voters be won over by this new approach? Or will it just serve as more material with which to skewer the man who many still see as a Zille puppet and white apologist.

    See for yourself. Watch the video here, read the transcript on the DA website, and do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

    – Featured image: Screengrab from the video.Â