In his weekly newsletter to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa described the launch of the National Dialogue as one of the most important undertakings in the history of South Africa’s democracy, urging all citizens to participate in shaping the country’s future.
The first National Convention of the
National Dialogue concluded on Saturday with a call for South Africans from all walks of life to begin conversations on the issues affecting their communities and the nation.“We are about to embark on one of the most important undertakings in the history of our democracy. We all have a responsibility to make it work. Let the dialogue begin and let every voice be heard,” the President said.
The convention, which was attended by just over 1 000 delegates from organisations drawn from all sectors of society, was the kick-off for thousands of public dialogues that will take place for the next few months and into the beginning of next year.
The public dialogues will take place at a local level in wards and at a sectoral level. Citizens will also be encouraged to organise their own dialogues, bringing people together to discuss the issues that concern them and to look for solutions to the challenges they face.
The President said the outcomes of each of these dialogues will be recorded and collated through a special digital platform. There will also be mechanisms in place to enable those without access to the technology to submit the outcomes of their dialogues.
These discussions will culminate in a second National Convention in 2026, where a clear vision for the country is expected to be outlined, along with a social compact defining the roles and responsibilities of all sectors of society, including government, business, labour, traditional leaders, religious organisations and civic bodies.
“The form and content of these outcomes will ultimately be determined by the South African people through their discussions. The first National Convention reflected the great diversity of the country’s people and their enthusiasm to get involved in the debate,” the President said.
He highlighted that delegates were clear that citizens themselves must determine the issues discussed and must use whatever approaches and methods that suit them and their circumstances.
READ | First National Convention closes with a call for citizen-led change
They stressed that what may work in urban centres may not be applicable in rural areas, and that different methods may be required for organised sectors compared to informal communities.
The President further noted that there was a strong emphasis at the convention on inclusion and participation, with some delegates expressing concern that important voices were missing from the gathering. There was a firm view that special efforts should be made to reach and include groups and people who were often left out or marginalised.
Preparations for the National Dialogue have been underway for many months, drawing together foundations of struggle stalwarts, civil society bodies and the Presidency. They were given the responsibility to organise the first National Convention and lay the basis for the public dialogues that would follow it.
The President said the convention was the moment at which the people of South Africa would take over the National Dialogue. Delegates discussed the formation of a Steering Committee, consisting of nominees from all sectors of society, to take the process forward.
Each of the sectors held discussions at the convention on how they would select their respective nominee for the Steering Committee by the end of August 2025. They agreed that these processes need to be inclusive and that the Steering Committee needs to be representative.
In taking the National Dialogue forward, the Steering Committee would be supported and guided by the Eminent Persons Group, prominent South Africans tasked with championing the dialogue and providing advice. The Eminent Persons Group will also advise the Head of State as the convenor of the National Dialogue to ensure that it is inclusive and credible.
“There should be no person, no part of society and no institution – either public or private – that is excluded from the conversation. The dialogue should break down the barriers between ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ and challenge notions of ‘us’ and ‘them’.
“At the same time, we should not seek a form of unity that is based only on sentiment, but a unity that is forged through constructive and honest discussion on the difficult questions our country faces – and an agreed programme of action,” the President said.
President Ramaphosa said the National Dialogue must be a platform where all voices are heard, where divisions between insiders and outsiders are broken down, and where South Africans engage openly, even in disagreement, to find common ground.
“Disagreeing is part of engaging in a meaningful and robust dialogue. It is through the expression of different views that we will be able to give full legitimacy and credence to the dialogue. We should therefore make a determined effort to air our differences with a view to finding agreement on the actions we need to take together to build a better society, in which every person has an equal opportunity to prosper,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
No comments:
Post a Comment