It promises people’s voices will be heard through ward-level conversations and submissions on a digital app, but South Africa has not bridged the digital divide
It should serve as a catalyst for meaningful change, galvanising stakeholders across sectors to address such problems
The special project manager at the Thabo Mbeki Foundation said legacy foundations were talking to civil society on how to take the project back from the government and political parties
President Cyril Ramaphosa put a brave face on Friday to legacy foundations and opposition parties boycotting a convention to kick off a National Dialogue on how to resolve South Africa’s numerous problems, saying similar walkouts had occurred during the difficult transition to democracy. “We are embarking on a process that will launch a million conversations. […]
Critics wondered whether the convention would follow through with local ward talks and implement recommendations
The DA claims it was proven right to boycott the dialogue after Deputy President Paul Mashatile instructed ministers to attend the convention virtually
Building the country we want isn’t the government’s sole responsibility. People need to act and use the abilities they have to effect change
Several prominent foundations have withdrawn from the national dialogue citing poor planning and questionable spending
Far from a talkshop for the elite, the dialogue is a people-led, civil society-driven process to address socio-economic injustice and shape the nation’s future
The planned National Dialogue should aim to achieve a resurgence of people’s power so evident in the 1980s resistance to apartheid
The National Dialogue has not even begun and has already become irrevocably politically tainted
But the Democratic Alliance has said it will boycott the dialogue that will take place over nine months, calling it a waste of time and money
We don’t have a problem of dialogue in South Africa. We have a delivery problem. And no level of polite discussion will fix that
Democratic leader John Steenhuisen however said the party would withdraw from a national dialogue due later this year, calling it a waste of time and money and a distraction from the failures of the ANC
We all have the obligation to participate publicly because it is our collective responsibility to advance South Africa Inc.
It will also try to ease dealings with its partners in the government of national unity (GNU), in particular the DA, ahead of local government election campaigning
A national dialogue offers the opportunity to unite South Africans around a common vision, thereby giving rise to a people of national unity
While lauded internationally, our social rights documents have yet to become a reality for many South Africans but remain mere words outlining our aspirations
The Strategic Dialogue Group and foundations named after the country’s leaders believe that South Africa can move beyond the paralysis in social, economic, political and governance spheres and national despair
The national dialogue is more than a discussion, it is our chance to forge a path towards a more just, equitable and democratic South Africa
The president said the alternative was the desperation of a populist coalition intent on continuing the plunder of state resources
We need to face up to the realities required to achieve a country in which the dignity of citizens is restored through jobs and crime-free communities