By Levy Masiteng
ActionSA has decided not to send a formal delegation from its national leadership to the National Convention over the weekend that is meant to frame the upcoming National Dialogue, according to the party’s parliamentary leader Athol Trollip.
Instead, it would deploy senior party MPs Kgosi Letlape and Lerato Ngobeni on an observation brief to monitor and exercise oversight over the three-day meeting.
This move follows the withdrawal of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), which cited concerns over transparency, governance and the rushed timeline of the dialogue.
Trollip said in a statement on Wednesday that their decision stemmed from unresolved concerns regarding the lawful appropriation of the budget, with no parliamentary committee duly engaged on the matter.
“ActionSA remains unconvinced that any of the concerns raised by key stakeholders, organisers and the broader public have been addressed,” he said.
FF Plus leader Corné Mulder said on Tuesday that the African National Congress was not ready to have a genuine dialogue.
“The ANC’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, confirmed that the party will not abandon its failed economic or foreign policies,” he said in a statement.
Last month, DA leader John Steenhuisen said their withdrawal was prompted by the ANC’s failure to act against corruption within its senior ranks.
“Frankly, the President, Cyril Ramaphosa, cannot even dialogue meaningfully with his own [GNU] coalition partners, so there is little point in pretending there is any substance to an ANC-run National Dialogue,” he said.
The dialogue is aimed at bringing together political parties, civil society, business, labour, traditional leaders and community representatives to forge consensus on tackling South Africa’s deepest challenges.
However, critics argue that the process lacks transparency and accountability, with some questioning the initial R700 million budget.
Last week several of the country’s most influential legacy foundations announced their withdrawal from the event’s Preparatory Task Team (PTT).
They cited “violated principles”, inadequate preparation and an unacceptable shift from a citizen-led to a government-controlled process.
They are the Steve Biko Foundation, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, FW de Klerk Foundation, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation and the Strategic Dialogue Group
Trollip emphasised that the two MPs would attend the convention solely to observe and critically assess whether the process would serve as a meaningful platform for reform or merely an electioneering exercise.
“Our representatives will travel, be accommodated and catered for at their own personal cost and will attend this weekend’s convention with the sole mandate of delivering a critical assessment.
“ActionSA will step in to safeguard the interests of South Africans and ensure proper oversight and accountability over every cent spent on this National Dialogue,” he said.
On Tuesday, three key Afrikaner organisations – AfriForum, Solidarity and the Solidarity Movement – also withdrew from the dialogue.
Solidarity Movement chairperson Flip Buys accused the ANC of hijacking the initiative to score political points, rather than addressing the issues affecting ordinary citizens — the very purpose for which the dialogue was originally proposed.
The National Convention will be held at Unisa in Pretoria.
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