We chat to Mmusi Maimane about his life and work.
What is the one thing that people don’t know about you?
I used to be a tennis coach in a previous life.
If you weren’t a politician, what would you be?
I would be an accountant.
What do you do for fun?
I enjoy watching sports, soccer and tennis.
What lessons has fatherhood taught you and how has it shaped the man that you are today?
That life can be simple – at the end of a hard day at work, I come home to children that love me.
What book are you reading now?
I am reading Believer: My Forty Years in Politics by David Axelrod, and Africa Is Open For Business by Victor Kgomoeswana.
What is your biggest fear?
That South Africa will become a failed state.
What advice would you give to a young person who aspires to have a political career like yours?
They must enter politics for the right reasons. I’m in politics because in whatever way I can, I want to influence the changing of people’s lives for the better. It should never be about money, titles or positions.
Why did you study theology?
I grew up in the church, and my grandmother thought I would be a priest.
What is your greatest achievement in life?
Fatherhood. I want all children to grow up in a better South Africa, with quality education, safer communities, a working healthcare system and an economy that will ensure them a job.
