Parliament's Appropriations Committee seeks clarity on National Dialogue funding
Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once.
Show Comments ()
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
South Africa Plays Down Comments by Its General Visiting Iran
The South African government distanced itself from remarks by the country's top general during a visit to Iran, where he criticized Israel and voiced solidarity with the Islamic Republic. South African National Defence Force Chief Rudzani Maphwanya was quoted by local media declaring that the two nations share common goals, calling for deeper ties. Pretoria's close ties with Tehran are among points of contention between South Africa and Washington, which slapped a 30% tariff on the sub-Saharan nation's goods entering the US this month.
News24
2 hours ago
- News24
Ministers and deputies to attend National Convention virtually due to space constraints
Ministers, deputy ministers, and director generals will attend the National Convention virtually on Friday and Saturday. Deputy President Paul Mashatile told the executive in a letter that they would not be able to physically attend the convention because of space constraints. The National Convention committee told News24 that this is a citizen-led process and seats cannot be filled by government ministers. Deputy President Paul Mashatile has written to ministers and deputy ministers advising them to attend the National Convention virtually because of space limitations at the venue. News24 has seen a letter signed by Mashatile, dated 13 August, thanking ministers and deputy ministers for their support for the National Convention, which takes place on Friday and Saturday at Unisa in Pretoria. 'Unfortunately, due to the size of the civil society delegation expected to be at the convention, I would request that you join the dialogue virtually. The conference organising committee will send a link in this regard. 'Members of the IMC (Inter-Ministerial Committee), ministers, deputy ministers and directors-general, as well as the Cabinet Secretary, will be catered for,' reads Mashatile's letter. The letter comes amid accusations of too much government involvement in the convention from several quarters, including legacy foundations and political parties. READ | Stalwarts Foundation Forum rallies for National Convention amid exodus drama Last week, legacy foundations, including the Thabo Mbeki, Desmond and Leah Tutu, Steve Biko, and FW de Klerk foundations, withdrew from the convention. They cited government control and rushed planning as reasons for their withdrawal, and called for the convention's postponement. Despite the challenges raised, Ramaphosa decided to go ahead and hold the first National Convention this weekend to guide the National Dialogue. Speaking to News24 on Wednesday, convention spokesperson Reverend Zwoitwaho Nevhutalu said the event is citizen-led and seats cannot be filled by ministers and their deputies. 'The thinking is that they have always been saying this issue is citizen-led, and it is not a government [programme]; of course government ministers are citizens but they carry the weight of government ministry,' he said. He added that members of the IMC would be adequate to represent the government at the convention. You cannot fill up the seats with government ministers and deputies whereas the seats should really be filled up by ordinary citizens. So that is the thinking behind it. Nevhutalu said directors-general are also not wanted in large numbers unless they are playing a specific role. 'But the majority of the people that we have accredited by far are ordinary citizens mostly from civil society and so on,' he said. The convention, which is the first leg of the National Dialogue, has already been marred by controversy with not only the withdrawal of the legacy foundations, but also political parties. So far, the DA, FF Plus, and ActionSA have indicated that they will not be part of the convention or the National Dialogue. Afrikaans lobby groups such as AfriForum and Solidarity have also shunned the convention and dialogue, claiming that the process had been hijacked by the ANC.
News24
2 hours ago
- News24
ActionSA, FF Plus, latest to pull out of National Dialogue convention, but civil society says event will go ahead
ActionSA and Freedom Front Plus withdraw from the National Dialogue convention starting on 15 August. Parties cite concerns over credibility, governance and ANC's role, with both sending only observers instead. President Ramaphosa insists the convention will go ahead, insists dialogue's success will be judged by its long-term outcomes. The National Dialogue convention, scheduled to start on Friday, has received another blow, with ActionSA and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) confirming they will not participate. The withdrawals add to growing skepticism about the dialogue's credibility, following an earlier boycott by the DA and the withdrawal of six legacy foundations from the convention's preparatory structures. However, on Monday, Boichoko Ditlhake, the chairperson of the national convention, a part of the National Dialogue, said the event will not be impacted by the withdrawals. Ditlhake said: 'In a nutshell, there's no impact and there will be no impact. There are organisations in society which came on board strongly and demonstrated that South Africans can rise if the need arises.' Ditlhake is from the Kagiso Trust and is part of civil society. 'As the convention organising committee, our task is to ensure that the National Dialogue process is handed over to a broadly representative steering committee that will be established at the first National Convention. There is no need for unnecessary delays,' he added. ActionSA: Concerns unresolved, will send observers In a statement on Wednesday, ActionSA said it remained unconvinced that concerns raised by key stakeholders and the public had been addressed. The party criticised what it described as an 'insistence on forging ahead despite serious, unresolved questions, particularly regarding the lawful appropriation of the budget'. 'Consequently, ActionSA will not participate in or lend legitimacy to a process under these circumstances,' the statement read. Instead, the party will deploy two senior MPs, Kgosi Letlape and Lerato Ngobeni, to attend the convention purely in an observation capacity, with all travel and accommodation costs covered personally. Our representatives will travel, be accommodated and catered for at their personal cost, and will attend this weekend's convention with the sole mandate of delivering a critical assessment of whether this process will serve as a meaningful platform for reform or is merely an electioneering exercise that misappropriates public funds under the guise of public participation. ActionSA The party stressed that the dialogue was not solely an ANC initiative, but a commitment made by all government of national unity (GNU) parties. 'These parties now refuse to take responsibility for the process… leaving a void that demands scrutiny,' it said. READ: Foundations still part of National Dialogue, just not part of 15 August gathering, says Ramaphosa Gallo Images/Beeld/Deaan Vivier FF Plus: Dialogue needed, but not with ANC at the helm FF Plus leader Corne Mulder said the party believed dialogue is essential, but accused the ANC of being incapable of leading a credible process. Unfortunately, it has become abundantly clear that the ANC, as the largest party in the GNU, is not ready to have a genuine, reasoned and solution-oriented dialogue. Corne Mulder He cited recent ANC statements reaffirming its controversial economic and foreign policy positions, including BEE, expropriation without compensation, and race-based legislation, as evidence of an unwillingness to change course. 'A political party with such a mindset… cannot act as a credible facilitator for the Presidency or a participant in a national dialogue,' he said. The FF Plus has also opted to send only an observer, its CEO Pieter de Necker, to monitor the proceedings. Mulder suggested that 'an honest national dialogue' should take place without the ANC and invited other GNU parties to collaborate on practical solutions that prioritise the country's interests. Wider political scepticism The boycott by ActionSA and the FF Plus adds to an already crowded field of sceptics. The DA has refused to participate in either the first national convention or the broader dialogue process. The EFF and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party have dismissed the initiative entirely, with the parties labelling it a 'publicity stunt'. Their concerns echo those raised last week by the six legacy foundations representing the legacies of Steve Biko, Thabo Mbeki, Chief Albert Luthuli, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo, FW de Klerk and Archbishop Desmond and Leah Tutu. The foundations accused the presidency of undermining the dialogue's citizen-led character, pushing ahead with a poorly prepared convention and risking a 'symbolic rather than substantive' event. They also cited funding delays, alleged governance misalignment and fears of potential violations of the Public Finance Management Act due to emergency procurement processes. READ: Ramaphosa's national dialogue slammed as 'meaningless', 'elitist farce' by opposition Ramaphosa unfazed President Cyril Ramaphosa has sought to downplay the withdrawals, insisting last week that the first convention would proceed as planned on 15 August. 'The withdrawal of the foundations is not a train smash. The dialogue is going to go ahead,' Ramaphosa said. 'What mattered was the outcome, which will chart a very clear path to where our country should be going in the next 30 years and more.' Ramaphosa confirmed that the convention will elect a steering committee to oversee the rollout planned of community and sectoral dialogues nationwide, as part of a multi-year process to develop a new social compact. A dialogue in doubt The National Dialogue was first proposed by former president Mbeki ahead of last year's general elections, to build consensus on tackling SA's deep-rooted challenges, from inequality to broken state institutions. However, with key opposition parties, influential foundations and civil society voices now sitting out the first convention, the initiative faces an uphill battle to maintain credibility and inclusivity.
