First National Convention to Launch National Dialogue Across South Africa
The first-ever National Convention is set to bring together 200 organisations from 33 diverse sectors, marking the beginning of an ambitious National Dialogue process aimed at fostering meaningful discussions across the country.
The National Convention, which will take place over the coming weeks, is designed to open up public dialogues at the grassroots level. These conversations will take place in local communities and across various sectors, encouraging participation from citizens, organisations, and institutions from every corner of the country.
The goal is to engage as many South Africans as possible, ensuring that people from all walks of life have a platform to voice their concerns and contribute to shaping the future of the nation. With its focus on inclusivity, the convention will feature a series of dialogues that will be held across South Africa, with sessions being organised in both urban and rural areas.
These dialogues will touch on key issues facing the country, including social, economic, and political challenges. The aim is to identify common ground, foster understanding, and build a collective vision for the nation's progress.
By involving a wide range of sectors — from education and healthcare to business, technology, and the arts — the National Dialogue will ensure that the views of various stakeholders are represented. The process is also set to provide a platform for the private sector, non-governmental organisations, and civil society groups to collaborate on solutions for the country's most pressing issues.
The National Dialogue is seen as a crucial step in strengthening democratic processes in South Africa, empowering citizens, and promoting social cohesion.
By engaging in these dialogues, the convention hopes to create a sense of shared responsibility, where citizens feel invested in the country's future and committed to working together towards positive change.
Government officials and leaders from different sectors have expressed their support for the initiative, with many emphasising the importance of open dialogue in addressing South Africa's challenges.
They have called on all South Africans to participate actively in the upcoming sessions, as the success of the National Dialogue depends on the broadest possible engagement. In addition to local dialogues, sector-specific discussions will allow experts, professionals, and stakeholders to come together to discuss issues pertinent to their respective fields.
This sectoral approach ensures that nuanced and specialised conversations can take place, leading to more targeted solutions and actionable outcomes. The National Convention will not only set the stage for public discussions but will also lay the groundwork for ongoing dialogue initiatives that will continue long after the event.
The conversations started at the convention will be part of a larger, sustained effort to bring about lasting change and progress in South Africa. As South Africa moves forward with this important dialogue process, it is clear that the National Convention represents a significant step towards a more united, inclusive, and participatory future.
With the involvement of 200 organizations from 33 sectors, this initiative holds the potential to spark positive change and build a foundation for a stronger, more cohesive nation.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Citizen
16 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Gayton McKenzie racism row deepens as string of racist comments threaten national unity
'South Africa has not healed' from hate speech. A slew of racism charges against political leaders and a podcast underscore the persistent racial tensions in the country and could destabilise hard-fought national building efforts, according to an expert. 'Enforcement of the antidiscrimination laws is crucial if we are to address this racially charged rhetoric and hate speech,' said political analyst Rene Oosthuizen. The Human Rights Commission of South Africa (HRC) rejected the apology of the hosts of Open Chats podcast that labelled the coloured community as crazy, among other offensive remarks, and vowed to investigate the incident. ActionSA's MP Alan Beesley has also reported Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie to the body for racist remarks after he repeatedly used allegedly hateful slurs on social media in years gone by that served to degrade and dehumanise black South Africans. Racism and the dehumanising of any person, regardless of their race, has no place in South Africa, 'which is why we have also lodged a complaint against Minister [of Public Works and Infrastructure] Dean Macpherson for his deeply offensive and racially charged attacks on ActionSA supporters, referring to them as amaphara [petty thieves addicted to heroin] and hobos', Beesley said. 'While we hold reservations about the effectiveness of the HRC, it remains the constitutionally empowered institution mandated to address such matters. 'Accordingly, we will follow the prescribed process, but are fully prepared to independently institute proceedings at the Equality Court in terms of Section 20 of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act.' ALSO READ: Malema's EFF calls for 'removal' of McKenzie over K-word slurs ANC SG also in the firing line ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was also in hot water after AfriForum head of public relations Ernst van Zyl strongly condemned his 'racist outburst' against white South Africans during a recent media conference in Johannesburg. 'Mbalula lashed out at white South Africans and Afrikaner refugees in the US. He smeared the refugees as car guards and murderers. 'AfriForum labels this outburst as unacceptable and considers Mbalula's stereotyping of white South Africans as bloodthirsty murderers who target each other and black South Africans to be blatant racism.' Political analyst Piet Croucamp said AfriForum and Solidarity are race-obsessed. 'They keep perpetuating the abnormalities of society and then in their rant about Mbalula, they tribalise it.' It doesn't mean Mbalula didn't behave despicably, but the wrong institution is now criticising him, Croucamp said. Social division 'As far as McKenzie is concerned, I would like to see how the HRC solve this difficult conundrum because I have been told by [EFF leader] Julius Malema that black people can't be racist,' he added. Oosthuizen said it was very clear that these recent incidents, including inflammatory rhetoric from political leaders and offensive public discourse, underscore the persistent social tensions in our country. 'My fear is that these incidents risk exacerbating social divisions. 'I firmly believe the way forward requires responsible leadership that prioritises sustained and constructive dialogue that promotes understanding across racial and cultural lines,' she said. Benjamin Rapanyane, senior political lecturer at North-West University, said South Africa has not healed from racism. 'We are still in a deep crisis in respect of handling this sensitive issue. 'Perhaps the National Dialogue will help us to delve into this issue and heal the deeper wounds,' Rapanyane said. NOW READ: Political parties band together to condemn Open Chats Podcast's racist comments

IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Gayton McKenzie says he will subject himself to an investigation following uproar over use of K-word
Gayton McKenzie denies racism as ATM demands his removal over k-word use, Image: BackpagePix Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has confirmed that he will subject himself to an investigation following calls for his removal after his use of the K-word in a recent live video and older posts on social media. "I can never be guilty of racism, try some other take down but never racism. I did tweet some insensitive, stupid and hurtful things a decade or two ago, I was a troll [and] stupid. I cringe when seeing them and I am truly sorry for that. I shall subject myself to the investigation," he said in a post on X on Monday. I can never be guilty of racism, try some other take down but never racism. I did tweet some insensitive, stupid and hurtful things a decade or two ago, I was a troll & stupid. I cringe when seeing them and I am truly sorry for that. I shall subject myself to the investigation. — Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) August 11, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) ActionSA and the African Transformation Movement (ATM) have all called for an investigation following the live video and social media posts. ATM submitted its complaint to the Presidency, Parliament, and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests. In its letter, the ATM said: "Resurfaced tweets authored by the Minister contain racially derogatory slurs directed at black South Africans, language that is both indefensible and deeply corrosive to the principles upon which our democracy is built." According to the Patriotic Alliance president, he is not racist. He attributed the posts to merely being mischievous online. McKenzie went on to share that his mother was black and he has children with a black woman. "I fought my whole life for the same treatment between black and Coloured people because we fought the same struggle," he added. I'm the son of a black woman, I have children with a black woman, i fought my whole life for same treatment between black and coloured ppl because we fought same struggle. Frame 1, I call out racism, frame 2, I generally always included myself when speaking about black issues. — Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) August 11, 2025 IOL Politics Get your news on the go. Click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.


The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Diplomatic coup in offing?
The president assumed the low-belly crouch that in the animal jungle signals deference, even submissiveness. President Cyril Ramaphosa may yet pull off a diplomatic coup. He has signalled that the ANC is willing to compromise. Perhaps even grovel. Not with the US, naturally. No, the olive branch is being extended to the South African Communist Party (SACP). Speaking this week at the SACP's national congress, the president assumed the low-belly crouch that in the animal jungle signals deference, even submissiveness. The ANC, he said, fully recognised the SACP's autonomy and acknowledged that its members who also belonged to the ANC were 'full members of our movement'. But, he added, those rights came with obligations. This petty, factional sideshow is instructive. It reveals much about Ramaphosa's – and the ANC's – priorities at this moment of national crisis. Their attention is not on the wrecking ball heading South Africa's way. Admittedly, Ramaphosa has not been entirely idle. On Thursday – the very day the devastating 30% tariffs kicked in – he telephoned President Donald Trump. It would, of course, be wonderful if the mercurial Trump had a change of heart in response to his tête-à-tête with Ramaphosa. That's wishful thinking. Just last week, he made his feelings clear: he's unlikely to attend November's G20 summit in Johannesburg – where Ramaphosa is supposed to hand over the presidency to him – citing as reason Pretoria's 'very bad policies'. It's these policies, far more than the trade deficit, that lie at the heart of the standoff. Washington's message has been clear for months, relayed repeatedly to our foreign and trade ministries. Initially, discreetly by the DA delegation that visited Washington in March, then publicly by the Afrikaner civic organisations that followed. ALSO READ: National Dialogue will go ahead despite withdrawal of foundations, Ramaphosa says The US wants four concessions: B-BBEE – not scrapping this controversial policy, which the polls tell us most South Africans reject, but amending it to exempt US companies from having to surrender 30% ownership and instead allowing them to contribute in some other way to economic upliftment. Expropriation Act – not repealing the Act but amending it to make legally unambiguous that expropriation without compensation will not occur. Kill the Boer, kill the farmer chant – not banning it, but the ANC unambiguously condemning it, something Ramaphosa has never been able to bring himself to do. Farm attacks – not declaring whites a protected species, but making such attacks a priority crime. These are modest, sensible asks. Yet they've been met with resistance from within an ANC that remains in thrall to revolutionary aspirations. In other words, the ANC would rather see the country ground down than let go of its delusions. It is ready to sacrifice jobs, trade, growth and diplomatic standing to preserve the illusion that it and its communist and trade union partners are still engaged in a revolutionary struggle, rather than face the fact that it and its GNU coalition partners are responsible for a total failure in governance. For the sake of South Africa, as well as in the long-term interests of the ANC, if Ramaphosa is going to compromise, it patently is better to do so with Trump than with the SACP. And for the DA, which has linked its fortunes to the ANC, if it is ever going to stand firm and not compromise by letting the ANC off the hook yet again, now is the moment. NOW READ: 'We almost made a mistake last elections': Floyd Shivambu's Afrika Mayibuye to grab MK party's KZN votes?