Request by some legacy foundations to postpone National Convention wasn't possible
On Friday, UNISA in Pretoria will host the convention, which serves as a precursor to the National Dialogue.
To date, six foundations have pulled out of Friday's event, saying the date had been rushed, meaning it no longer offered a platform for genuine engagement.
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At a media briefing on Thursday, Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the event would continue with or without the foundations.
"There was a genuine and earnest attempt to address all those concerns but the president, with all humility, expressed his anxiety over the postponement of the National Convention because a great deal of preparation had taken place."
Magwenya said the credibility of the convention and National Dialogue did not rest on the attendance of a few foundations.
"Delegates representing organisations from across society had begun making preparations to attend the convention. Therefore it would have been a great deal of inconvenience, not only to just seven foundations, but to close to a hundred civil society organisations and many other sectorial groups that had committed to attend the National Convention."
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