By Thapelo Molefe
President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticised political parties, civil society organisations and legacy foundations that withdrew from the first National Convention of the National Dialogue, saying their absence would not derail the process of building a united vision for South Africa.
Addressing more than 1000 delegates from over 200 organisations at Unisa in Pretoria on Friday, Ramaphosa said the gathering marked “the moment at which the people of South Africa take over the National Dialogue”.
He said it was vital for all South Africans to contribute to the process rather than pass judgement from the sidelines.
“More importantly, the National Dialogue is a call to action. It is a call to all South Africans to seize this moment for change and progress. And this we cannot do when we are sitting on the sidelines. This we cannot do when we do not want to be part of this conversation. And this we cannot do when we sit on the sidelines and just criticise,” Ramaphosa said.
“We need to be inside the tent rather than being outside of the tent. And we also need to have one tent. We do not need another tent where other conversations will take place. This is the real tent where conversation must take place.
“Now, it is a call to build a society in which there is a place for everyone, where the country’s wealth is shared by all, a South Africa that truly belongs to all the people who live in it.”
Several prominent legacy foundations including the Steve Biko Foundation, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and the Strategic Dialogue Group declined to participate.
They cited concerns over rushed timelines and a shift away from the original citizen-led vision toward greater government control.
Former president Thabo Mbeki also withdrew from the convention. His foundation’s chairperson, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, confirmed the decision in correspondence that dismissed the “so-called National Dialogue team”.
In response, the president revealed that members of the Eminent Persons Group, a panel of respected South Africans including Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, former Constitutional Court Justice Edwin Cameron and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, had urged him to proceed with the convention, despite the concerns raised by the foundations.
“They said to me, president, much as people might think we are not entirely ready, the invitations have already gone out… If we are to postpone this important national event, trust will be lost. It is best to continue,” he said.
Ramaphosa singled out the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) for participating in the process, unlike in the past.
The president defended the government’s role in the dialogue, stressing that Deputy President Paul Mashatile had ensured it would be “citizen-led” without much government interference. He described the government’s participation as a “light touch”, limited to logistical and financial support.
On costs, he dismissed claims that the dialogue would require R740 million, saying the convention was being run “much cheaper” thanks to free use of Unisa’s facilities and a plan to hold future sessions in schools, churches and community spaces rather than expensive venues such as hotels.
“The people of South Africa do not want us spending too much money on the conversations we are going to have,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the convention was not intended to resolve all the country’s problems in a single sitting but to start “a million conversations” in homes, schools, churches, boardrooms, township streets and villages over the next six to eight months.
These talks would feed into a new social compact aimed at addressing deep inequalities, unemployment, poverty and social divisions.
“We will need to have difficult conversations about why women still fear men… why so many live in poverty while a few live in opulence, why the prospects for a white child remain better than those of a Black child, and why clinics run out of medicine while taps run dry,” he said.
Ramaphosa added that the National Dialogue must result in a framework for political stability, economic renewal, social cohesion and a capable, ethical state.
“This convention should not be remembered for fine speeches alone, but for the process it begins,” he said.
“Our disagreements are small compared to the magnitude of what we can achieve together.”
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