John Matisonn: National Dialogue: 1980s solution to 2025 problem

Key topics:Civil groups resist government’s dominant role in the National Dialogue.R711m budget sparks concerns of waste, corruption, and political influence.Business demands expert-driven reforms; others want youth, worker voices..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.The auditorium doors will open for BNIC#2 on 10 September 2025 in Hermanus. For more information and tickets, click here..By John Matisonn.A number of business, church and civil society groups that have been preparing for a national dialogue for more than a year are dissatisfied with the government's prominent role.An Inter-Ministerial Committee has been established under Deputy President Paul Mashatile to coordinate the government's contribution to the National Dialogue, and President Cyril Ramaphosa plans to launch it at a “national convention” on August 15.The first sign of resistance came with a court challenge from the union-backed Labour Party, but other organisers are considering whether to attend and demand changes to the process to limit the government's role, or to stay away entirely.Leaders of three significant civil society organisations interviewed this week said the National Dialogue was not what they envisaged. Two said they will continue to participate, but will use the platform to require changes so that the government’s role is purely as a facilitator.One said his organisation will walk away unless it is satisfied that the steering committee brings an informed, independent perspective to the proceedings.Organisations with strong business support object to the apparently random list of 31 “eminent persons” including four from sport, at a time when they argue that specific policy expertise is required to make tough decisions and ensure they are professionally implemented.Most see the need for a dialogue as a result of the government's paralysis in kick-starting change that would reverse the ongoing collapse of institutions and service delivery.Instead, it may have evolved into a 1980s “solution” to a 2020's problem. To end apartheid revolved around bringing hostile racial groups together to build social cohesion through national reconciliation.Now the problem is economic decline and governmental corruption and decay..Read more:.John Matisonn: It’s true - Patrice Motsepe has entered Presidential, with brother-in-law CR’s backing.“We already have parliament, we already have Nedlac and we already have civil society platforms,” said the Labour Party’s acting secretary-general Lindi Mkhumbane. “What we don’t have is political will from the ruling elite to act on the people’s demands.”The Labour Party, which is linked to Joseph Mathunjwa’s trade union Amcu, has launched an urgent application in the North Gauteng High Court to interdict the national dialogue, arguing it is unconstitutional, irrational, fiscally irresponsible and excludes the working class. There is also widespread objection to the enormous amount of money – R711 million – floated as its budget. This has raised suspicions about where the money will go, and whether deployed ANC officials in government will be funded to manage the project and influence the agenda away from a focus on solutions to government failures. The president’s announcement followed widespread behind the scenes pushing and shoving between different groups that wanted to be in the drivers’ seat. But there are two conflicting criticisms of the government’s plan – many non-business participants want a greater role for youth groups and others seen as victims of unemployment caused by government’s failures. Business, on the other hand, wants strong participation by business and experts that can turbocharge reforms that have been on the table for years, either never approved or approved but never implemented until their benefits have long since been diluted or lost.The chairperson of the National Dialogue preparatory task team (PTT), Nkosinathi Biko, CEO of the Steve Biko Foundation, has defended the mammoth R711million proposed budget.It covers “two national conventions, provincial dialogues, sectoral dialogues and an extensive community dialogue launch, which comes to about R11 per South African,” he wrote in news 24.Biko says it’s cheaper than the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which came in at about R900million adjusting for inflation because the National Dialogue plans a wider ranging consultation. Jakkie Cilliers is the Head, African Futures and Innovation, Institute for Security Studies (ISS), argued that “dialogue cannot be effective without first properly assessing what’s wrong.”He sees it as a way to take the National Development plan forward. “It is anticipated that the National Dialogue will drive progress towards our Vision 2030 and lay the foundation for the next phase of South Africa’s National Development Plan…“…It is naive to think that such a plan will emerge from broad consultation without preparatory work by issue-level experts, which is then made available for public critique. This needn’t be a lengthy process.” The views, concerns and proposals that will emerge from this conversation will be brought together at a second National Convention that is planned to be held in the beginning of next year.It’s not clear to me yet how the dialogue will help. When a country is in a hole, there is no alternative to visionary, informed, ethical and visionary leadership.

John Matisonn: National Dialogue: 1980s solution to 2025 problem

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