Despite president Cyril Ramaphosa has enabled the National Dialogue for South Africa to be held this week is taking place. The venue is the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria. The process has been widely perceived as exclusive rather than inclusive of the South African public by the South African citizenry. The National Dialogue has come to be seen as ANC electioneering, not true dialogue and the way the process was handled proved to be extra-constitutional, costly and lacks broad support from the relevant parties and the nation it was meant to offer a platform to. The key issues the dialogue was supposed to examine like economic growth, crime, and corruption were largely ignored.
That banner image is supposed to say, “Shaping the Nation”. Yet the organisation this represents, the “National Dialogue”, has no constitutional or legal mandate to shape the nation. That’s what Parliament is for. The president has no authority to blow half a billion on a disorganised talk shop in which half the country’s political parties are not participating, and from which most of the organising groups have withdrawn. That money belongs to us, the people who pay value-added tax, the fuel levy, business licence fees, income tax, company tax, dividend tax, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, import tax, sugar tax, booze tax, tobacco tax, vape tax, and other direct and indirect taxes. That is, all of us.
Ramaphosa claims to have convened the National Dialogue in terms of section 83 of the Constitution, which reads: “The President— (a) is the Head of State and head of the national executive; (b) must uphold, defend and respect the Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic; and (c) promotes the unity of the nation and that which will advance the Republic.”
Transparency and accountability have taken a very far back seat at this dialogue. Ramaphosa as head of state and man at the helm of the national executive branch leading the country is meant to consult with the citizens who elected him. This is done through civil society and a competent opposition acting as a mediator. Mismanaging public funds for a dialogue that was meant for inclusive consultation of South African citizens is a very large red flag that this gathering will not be inclusive. The collective use of taxes for public funding such as the National Dialogue comes with collective responsibility. The President is held accountable for his actions with public funding by the constitution, parliament, the judiciary and the people for his actions.
Ramaphosa has displayed a more single-minded approach and a unilateral bent since coming to office. He should serve as a pillar of honour and dignity for the country tackling the scandals of state capture and illicit wealth accumulation within the ranks of his own party.
ANC rule produced, perpetuated or exacerbated the economic hardship, unemployment, inequality and poverty in South Africa. “We also meet at a time when the world is rapidly changing and our ability to adapt and renew ourselves will define the next generation.” Yeah, no “renewal” is an internal ANC slogan. We don’t need to renew ourselves. You do. And though you’ve been talking about renewal for nigh on a decade (since 2017, to be exact), you’ve done nothing about it. The same old skelms and incompetents still populate the ANC’s National Executive Committee and the Ramaphosa cabinet.
“But history teaches us that nations are not defined solely by their difficulties; they are defined by how they respond to challenges they face.”
Ramaphosa is on a tight rope performing a balancing act. On the one hand he faces greater calls for actual political reform and on the other there are still those behind the scenes who want government policy to continue as it is; business as usual. The ANC under previous leaders such as former President former Jacob Zuma had led South Africa down a road of uncertainty. This was especially true under Zuma. Ramaphosa was supposed to be a great wind of cautious change that would bring security and stability to South Africa. The President was meant to steer the country back on course.
The dialogue sponsored by the president and his inner circle may prove to be a disaster and embarrassment in the long run. Investors will not be impressed by the shift in tone of South Africa’s political landscape. It leaves the haggard economy unchanged.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
