FF Plus 2nd GNU party to pull out of National Dialogue
Party leader Corne Mulder said that while he firmly believes a dialogue is crucial to finding solutions to the country's myriad problems, the ANC is setting the wrong tone.
ALSO READ: AfriForum accuses Ramaphosa of capturing National Dialogue, turning it into ANC monologue
The upcoming convention, which starts on Friday, is meant to set the scene for the dialogue.
But it's been mired in controversy since several foundations linked to former presidents and struggle stalwarts withdrew from the process last week.
Announcing his party's withdrawal from the National Dialogue on Tuesday afternoon, FF Plus leader Corne Mulder accused the Presidency, under the influence of the ANC, of wanting to dictate the direction the National Dialogue will take.
Mulder believes civil society should steer the process.
"It seems to me that the ANC, with their intent and their utterances, are an obstructive role player in this whole thing."
Mulder said recent remarks by the ANC's Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, that the party is not prepared to back down from its existing policies make the dialogue futile and a waste of money.
"There's a need for a dialogue, but perhaps even without the ANC. Because as long as that's the ANC's view, then there's no sense in any other dialogue because they are clearly not prepared to address the challenges."
The party said it will send its CEO to attend Friday and Saturday's convention as an observer instead.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
4 hours ago
- eNCA
ActionSA deploys two seniors to observe and monitor National Dialogue
CAPE TOWN - Unresolved questions raised by key stakeholders and the broader public have led to growing concerns surrounding the National Dialogue convention. This had led to the withdrawal of several NGOs, interest groups and political parties that were meant to be participating. Central to the impasse is the budget allocation for the convention. ActionSA Parliamentary Leader Athol Trollip had a discussion with eNCA's Gareth Edwards and shared his party's standpoint on the upcoming National Dialogue
eNCA
4 hours ago
- eNCA
AfriForum accuses ANC of National Dialogue capture
JOHANNESBURG - AfriForum has withdrawn from the National Dialogue. It says the ANC has taken control of the process, capturing it from its intended citizen-led nature. READ: Concerns as several legacy foundations withdraw from National Convention The National Convention is scheduled for this weekend, but several foundations, political parties and other organisations have denounced it.
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
Legitimacy crisis looms over National Dialogue as organisations withdraw
The withdrawal of Thabo Mbeki's foundation and others underscores significant concerns regarding transparency and preparation for the National Dialogue, raising vital questions about leadership and accountability in South Africa's pursuit of a cohesive national vision. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers Just two days before its scheduled start, the National Dialogue is facing a crisis of legitimacy, with several organisations withdrawing their participation due to concerns over transparency, funding, and the ANC's intentions. More organisations have withdrawn from the National Dialogue, citing concerns over its legitimacy, transparency, and effectiveness. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has questioned the financing of the event, while the Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, Solidarity, and Afrikaner Leierskapsnetwerk (Afrikaner Leadership Network, ALN) have all announced their decision not to participate. This follows the withdrawal less than a week ago of the Mbeki Foundation and other prominent legacy foundations, including the Steve Biko Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation, and FW de Klerk Foundation, from the ambitious event. 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 ✕ Ad loading The foundations stated that a key factor in the decision was the uncertainty regarding the R700 million allegedly allocated for the National Dialogue. They also cited concerns over the rushed timeline, inadequate preparation, and shift towards government control as reasons for their withdrawal. The MK Party has questioned who will finance the dialogue and slammed it as an "expensive sideshow" designed to bypass Parliament and give the Presidency unchecked influence over policy-making. 'The Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), whose duty is to guard against waste and ensure that government spending addresses urgent national priorities, has disgracefully allowed public resources to be poured into a politically engineered 'Convention' that has no legal mandate, no parliamentary approval, and no place in the constitutional order. 'Deputy President Paul Mashatile and his Inter-Ministerial Committee have no authority to set up alternative governance platforms with public funds. This is not citizen-led, it is ANC-led, and the DPME's silence shows that it has been reduced to a rubber stamp for the Presidency's pet projects,' the MK Party said through its spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndlela. The party further highlighted the neglect of essential services in various provinces while funds are being poured into the National Dialogue. Some of the issues cited include rural clinics closed due to medicine shortages and unpaid staff, communities in eThekwini going weeks without clean water, schools without desks forcing children to sit on the floor, and ambulance response times stretching beyond four hours, among other concerns. The VF Plus believes the ANC-led government is not ready for genuine dialogue and has refused to abandon its failed economic and foreign policies. "A political party with such a mindset and approach cannot act as a credible facilitator for the Presidency or a participant in a national dialogue," the party said. ActionSA said that while they would not fully participate, they would deploy two senior Members of Parliament as observers to monitor and exercise oversight over the convention. "We will not participate in or lend legitimacy to a process under these circumstances," ActionSA said. Solidarity Movement and AfriForum said the ANC had hijacked the National Dialogue and would not participate. "The ANC wants to hijack the intended National Dialogue to try to win back lost support, rather than to find answers to the crisis," said Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement. Afrikaner Leadership Network (ALN) expressed concerns about the lack of transparency and openness in the planned process and will not participate in the National Convention. However, the Presidency has confirmed that the inaugural National Convention of the National Dialogue will proceed on August 15-16, saying it would be formally launching a constitutionally mandated process aimed at developing a national compact for transformation, despite all concerns. The ANC has noted the decision by several National Legacy Foundations and organisations to withdraw from the Preparatory Task Team of the National Dialogue and urged the government to urgently address the concerns raised. Without outright saying it was in support of the event, the party said it believed the National Dialogue must be rooted in inclusive participation, guided by the spirit of the Constitution and liberation values. 'The ANC reaffirms that the process is about building trust, healing social divisions, and forging national unity through broad-based societal engagement.'
