Mmusi Maimane ‘cleaned out’ in France hotel

Build One SA (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane has revealed he was a victim of theft during a recent trip to France.

Maimane shared the news via a WhatsApp status on Sunday, without revealing the specific details of the encounter.

While South Africa is frequently ranked among the most dangerous countries in the world, Maimane highlighted his experiences at hotels in SA have been secure.

“Stayed in many hotels in SA, never had valuables/cash stolen; spent time in France and was cleaned out,” his status read.

When TimesLIVE reached out for further details regarding the incident, Maimane declined to elaborate.

“My apologies, I’ve just returned. I had placed it on my status, but I would like to keep the matter personal,” he said.

This is not the first time the political leader has dealt with crime. In 2022 Maimane experienced a traumatic armed robbery at a restaurant in Claremont, Cape Town. During the incident, three gun-wielding suspects entered the establishment, ordered patrons to lie on the floor and took their belongings.

Maimane, who was with his brother-in-law at the time, had his watch stolen. Reflecting on the local crime climate back then, he told TimesLIVE: “It’s really tough in SA.”

He said he had a conversation with his brother-in-law after the incident about crime in SA and if he would consider living in the country.

“Of course, it does not inspire confidence in anyone to invest and come and live in the country,” he said. “We have to do better. Crime is a serious driver of disinvestment. You can say all you like but financial capital will not move to this country until we deal with crime.

“You reflect on what if we were sitting in a tavern in Soweto and those guys came in and shot everyone? I think we need to consider whether we are effective at fighting crime. If we are not, it’s another job killer. People won’t want to come here for tourism purposes. Crime will hurt us.”

TimesLIVE