Looking to the future: Nkosinathi Biko (left) heads the committee that will steer the National Dialogue. He and Samora Biko (right) are the sons of Steve Biko. Photo: GCIS
National Dialogue steering committee chairperson Nkosinathi Biko has rejected criticism that the initiative is a money and time-wasting talk-shop.
The planned “society-wide” and “citizen-led” process from August 2025 to March 2026 will result in a national compact and plan of action to support the National Development Plan, which aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030, he told the Mail & Guardian.
President Cyril Ramaphosa first publicly mooted the idea of a national dialogue at his inauguration last year, after the general elections in which his ANC lost its national parliamentary majority, forcing it into a 10-party coalition that includes the former official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Ramaphosa invited all parties, civil society, labour, business and other formations to discuss the critical problems facing the country, including poverty, crime and corruption.
On 28 June, the DA said it was withdrawing from the National Dialogue, calling it a waste of time and money in the face of a president who had shown a reluctance to sanction ANC ministers implicated in corruption.
“It is an electioneering ploy, at taxpayer expense, to gloss over the serious crises that the ANC has plunged South Africa into. Frankly, the president cannot even dialogue meaningfully with his own coalition partners, so there is little point in pretending there is any substance to an ANC-run national dialogue,” DA leader John Steenhuisen said.
“We will also actively mobilise against it to stop this obscene waste of R740 million — starting with a call on civil society to join us in demanding that the National Dialogue not proceed until President Ramaphosa fires ANC-corruption accused and other delinquents from the executive.”
Other critics have argued that the projected financial cost of what may become a closed-off and elite-driven forum similar to G20 discussions is excessive, and the money would be better spent on small business grants, bursaries for needy students, or building classrooms and clinics.
The Economic Freedom Fighters has rejected the planned forum as an “outrageous” waste of resources “while our people are subjected to a brutal cost-of-living crisis, rising unemployment and collapsing public services”.
But Biko said the narrative around the dialogue was inaccurate, “misleading” and “unfortunate”, emphasising that the budget is yet to be finalised.
“The fact is that the government is seized with finalising the budget for the national dialogue. Such a process will go through the required budgetary and approval processes before a confirmed contribution can be publicly communicated,” he said.
“It is most important to highlight that contributions are being sought from the private sector, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders through a mix of financial sponsorships, volunteer work, as well as in-kind donations.”
This week, Ramaphosa insisted in a budget speech to parliament that the dialogue “is not just about talking” but would produce “real results that have a tangible impact on people’s lives”.
Earlier this month the president announced members of the eminent persons group comprising prominent and respected South Africans who will guide the dialogue.
“It is an opportunity to forge a new social compact for the development of our country, a compact that will unite all South Africans with clear responsibilities for different stakeholders, government, business, labour, civil society, men and women, communities and citizens,” he said.
According to organisers, 737 organisations have registered their interest in participating in various elements of the national dialogue — an average of 100 a day.
What the country needs at this moment is an economic dialogue similar to how the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa) was a political dialogue during the 1990s transition to democracy, said Jakkie Cilliers, the head of African futures and innovation at the Institute for Security Studies.
He said the discussions should be future focused, resulting in a consensus on where the country is going, adding that while an inclusive economy — a key target of the government given the country’s history of racial inequality — is important, the main focus should be on growing the economy.
“If we are going to have a discussion (where) we are going to talk about race, which is important, but will not create rapid economic growth. We are more concentrated about dividing the pie than growing the economy,” he said.
“Some people think to solve South Africa’s problems is to have more equity — which is not enough.”
The dialogue should adopt a non-racialised class-based analysis of South African society with programmes to tackle unemployment and economic development, Cilliers said.
He conceded that the country is polarised politically and the dialogue could potentially unite citizens if the social compact answers questions about development and implementation.
Asked about scepticism that any of the discussions will lead to concrete action to take the country forward, Biko said the implementation of the outcomes “will be the shared responsibility of every individual in South Africa”, adding this will “ensure that the shared vision and action plan is implemented”.
He said individuals and organisations had already contributed as volunteers and by offering resources “demonstrating a deep commitment to nation-building without expecting anything in return”.
“Many others have also expressed their willingness to support the process through funding, venues, logistical support and professional services, recognising the long-term value of investing in South Africa’s democratic renewal,” Biko added.
Responding to suggestions that the decision to boycott the forum by the DA — the second-largest party in the National Assembly and the government of national unity — will undermine its legitimacy, Biko countered: “The dialogue is not a party-political exercise — it is for and by the people of South Africa, which means its legitimacy ultimately rests on the confidence and participation of ordinary South Africans.”
The first convention will include 1 000 delegates who will set the agenda and coordinate ward-based community dialogues, he said. “There will also be smaller citizen-hosted events in churches and community groups that shall have access to the toolkit being designed so that the outcomes feed into the process.”
A second national convention will consolidate inputs from sectoral discussions, public submissions and community events which will run from August to March next year. The dialogue will conclude in a national roadshow on the outcomes, said Biko.
Asked what new deal citizens are expecting with the government, he said the dialogue “seeks to encourage a reimagined relationship between government and society preceded by trust, transparency, and shared responsibility”.
“This ‘new deal’ aims to shape the acknowledgement that citizens are not just passive recipients of services, rather they are active partners in shaping the country’s future.”
Asked what new deal citizens are expecting with the government, he said the dialogue “seeks to encourage a reimagined relationship between government and society preceded by trust, transparency, and shared responsibility”.
“This ‘new deal’ aims to shape the acknowledgement that citizens are not just passive recipients of services, rather they are active partners in shaping the country’s future,” Biko added.