Steenhuisen stands by DA's decision to pull out of upcoming National Dialogue
With the cost to hold the dialogue projected to exceed R700 million, Steenhuisen insists the DA will not back an initiative which he believes squanders public money.
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IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
GNU Chaos: Political elites betray SA
Joseph Mathunjwa, President of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union and leader of the Labour Party has filed an urgent High Court application against President Cyril Ramaphosa's National Dialogue initiative. Image: Simphiwe Mbokazi The Labour Party, founded with a worker-focused mandate, has launched a legal and political offensive against President Cyril Ramaphosa's National Dialogue initiative, branding it unconstitutional, fiscally reckless, and an attempt to sideline Parliament and the working class. The party, led by Joseph Mathunjwa, President of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union filed an urgent High Court application on June 18, seeking to interdict the process. The party, argued that the estimated R700 million to R800m cost of the dialogue was 'unjustifiable' amid the country's deepening socio-economic crises. However, their main interdict application which came before the court on Friday, was not heard. Instead, the court entertained interventions from several high-profile civil society foundations — including the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, the Strategic Dialogue Group, and the Thabo Mbeki, Steve Biko, and Albert Luthuli Foundations. 'South Africa doesn't need another elite summit behind closed doors,' said Labour Party's acting Secretary-General Lindi Mkhumbane. 'We already have Parliament, Nedlac, and civil society platforms. What we don't have is political will from the ruling elite to act on the people's demands.' The Labour Party's court papers demand: - A declaratory order that the National Dialogue is unconstitutional and irrational. - An interdict blocking public funds for the process, including payments to the appointed 'Eminent Persons Group.' - A review of all executive decisions initiating the Dialogue. 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 case has become a flashpoint between the Labour Party and a coalition of prominent civil society groups aligned with the state. On June 30, the aforementioned foundations were granted leave to intervene, defending the Dialogue. Mathunjwa said: 'These are not bystanders. These are political actors with deep ties to the post-apartheid ruling class. Their role isn't to unite the nation, it's to preserve an elite consensus forged behind closed doors.' He accused the foundations of betraying the legacies of the leaders they represent: 'The same communities (these leaders) stood for are ravaged by gender-based violence, unemployment, and poverty. Now these elites want a 'dialogue' instead of action.' Mathunjwa also criticised the procedural manoeuvring surrounding the case, particularly the fact that the foundations submitted answering affidavits before being granted leave to intervene — a step he described as 'arrogance, plain and simple'. The Labour Party claims the Dialogue is a smokescreen for International Monetary Fund(IMF)-driven austerity policies, including Eskom privatisation and neoliberal reforms. 'This is a rubber stamp for IMF instructions, nothing more,' Mathunjwa said. 'If Parliament is functional, why create a new platform? This isn't inclusion, it's circumvention.' The state's delayed filing of its answering papers — missing key deadlines — has further fuelled suspicions of procedural stalling. 'They missed the deadline, and now they're bringing in reinforcements to stall,' Mathunjwa said. 'The President cannot wake up and decide to allocate R800m without parliamentary scrutiny,' Mkhumbane argued. 'This is executive overreach masquerading as participation.' As the legal showdown looms, the Labour Party has called on ordinary South Africans to reject what it calls a 'PR stunt' designed to distract from worsening conditions across the country. 'Rape, violence, and poverty don't need a dialogue, they need action,' Mathunjwa declared. 'We're ready to meet them in court.' Political analyst and author Nicholas Woode-Smith delivered a scathing critique of Ramaphosa's National Dialogue, calling it a 'vanity project' designed more to distract South Africans than to solve the country's deepening crises. Woode-Smith, managing editor of *The Rational Standard* and a senior associate at the Free Market Foundation, argues that the event — budgeted at R700 million — was emblematic of Ramaphosa's leadership style. 'This is not going to be some miraculous meeting of the minds where all of South Africa's many issues are solved,' Woode-Smith said. 'On the contrary, Ramaphosa has set up the entire indaba to distract South Africans from the fact that he is completely underequipped to be our president.' He added: 'This entire affair could have been an email.' According to Woode-Smith, the high cost of the summit reflects its true nature — a political exercise in self-aggrandisement rather than a genuine attempt at national healing or problem-solving. 'The initial cost of R700m is just a testament to the fact that this entire event is a vanity project,' he stated. 'Ramaphosa is even taking advantage of condemnations of the quoted bill to try to act like he cares about cost-cutting. If he truly cared about saving money, he'd privatise Transnet and Eskom and stop bailing out the Post Office and SAA.' He continued: 'The fact that even a cent of taxpayer money is being spent on Ramaphosa's little pow-wow is unacceptable.' Woode-Smith questioned the very purpose of the National Dialogue, pointing out that there is no clear objective or roadmap for how it will lead to tangible change. 'It is also unclear what this National Dialogue aims to accomplish,' he said. 'Even if Ramaphosa hears contrary views, they will go ignored. The ANC has a history of not working with its partners. Why should we expect Ramaphosa to respect challenges to ANC policy in a National Dialogue when his party runs roughshod over his coalition partners in the Government of National Unity (GNU)?'. 'It is also unclear what this National Dialogue aims to accomplish,' he said. 'Even if Ramaphosa hears contrary views, they will go ignored. The ANC has a history of not working with its partners. Why should we expect Ramaphosa to respect challenges to ANC policy in a National Dialogue when his party runs roughshod over his coalition partners in the Government of National Unity (GNU)?' He pointed to recent actions by the president as evidence of the ANC's inability to share power responsibly. 'The ANC does not know how to share power,' Woode-Smith asserted. 'At every turn, it has ignored the fact that it is a partner in government, and not a dictator. Ramaphosa firing the Democratic Alliance (DA) Minister Andrew Whitfield is just the most recent example. And no, his excuse is not sufficient. He is not a dictator who can unilaterally kick out ministers.' He further said: 'He is a partner in a coalition government who should be in constant dialogue with the other parties. He should try that dialogue before making it national.' The analyst also criticised the ruling party's legislative agenda, particularly the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill and expropriation without compensation, which he says were pushed through without meaningful consultation. 'Pushing through BELA and expropriation without compensation, while refusing to countenance any dissent are just the cherries on top of the farce that is pluralism in the GNU,' he said. Woode-Smith also took aim at the composition of the so-called 'Eminent Persons Group,' tasked with facilitating the dialogue. 'Meant to represent South Africa as leaders that reflect 'the great diversity of our nation,' this group is nowhere close to reflecting the true, political diversity of this country,' he argued. He noted that the list includes 'a few business leaders, trade unionists, religious leaders, researchers and politicians. But mostly just celebrities. Actors, writers, sportsmen, models.' He asked: 'Is this supposed to be a serious discussion to establish a way forward for our crumbling society, or a festival of shiny faces and shallow vibes?' 'There are no drastic alternative views to Ramaphosa's dogma present in the list,' Woode-Smith said. 'Only Lindiwe Mazibuko was a member of the opposition, and her departure from the DA was not cordial.' He concluded: 'Ramaphosa has crafted a list of yes-men, with some token business leaders who are likely to be too afraid to rock the boat to be too outspoken. This is not the guest list of a dialogue. It's that of an echo chamber.' In Woode-Smith's view, a real national dialogue would involve voices across the ideological spectrum — including those who strongly oppose the ANC's policies. 'A true national dialogue, with the aim of patching South Africa's rifts and working towards solving our problems needs to include parties from all sides of the spectrum,' he said. 'Most importantly, Ramaphosa's enemies; he should have invited Ernst Roets. He should have invited Kallie Kriel.' Meanwhile, former president Thabo Mbeki in a strongly worded open letter to DA leader John Steenhuisen who threatened to boycott the National Dialogue in retaliation to Whitfield being fired from his position as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.
SowetanLIVE
5 hours ago
- SowetanLIVE
DD, the unifier, was a man of his word, and I can vouch for his dependability
On Thursday, former deputy president David Debede Mabuza sadly departed. Aged 64, his untimely passing deepens the moment of grief. Mabuza's extensive record in public affairs offers valuable insights into leadership. This is particularly so, since his story is part of SA's post-apartheid journey under the leadership of an African National Congress (ANC) of which he was a member and leader. 'DD' – as Mabuza was popularly known – was a mathematics teacher who cut his anti-apartheid activism in the Azanian Students Organisation (Azaso) in his youth in the 1980s, and later joined the Congress Movement, led by the ANC. After the first democratic elections in 1994, he was deployed to the government to help realise the society of the promise of the Freedom Charter, whose 70th anniversary we mark this year. As an ANC deployee in government, Mabuza was one of the early pathfinders of our democracy, whose ingenuity provided the foundation upon which the democratic edifice stands. Their commitment to the cause of democracy helped to restore the people's confidence in the government following the erosion of trust during the apartheid era. His effusive and staid disposition proved to be an added advantage in the post-apartheid confidence-building process – without which the democratic government would have struggled to rebuild and sustain the confidence of the people. In the tradition of the ANC, leadership is a collaborative process. Each leader brings their strengths to bear, while simultaneously mitigating the shortcomings of their colleagues. One has to see oneself as a team player; indeed, as part of a collective with a shared outlook, roles and responsibilities. In this, Mabuza distinguished himself well, inspiring many around him. He was a man of his word, and I can personally vouch for his dependability. Once he had committed himself to something or a course of action, he stuck to it regardless of the cost or inconvenience to his personal wellbeing. He was also a man of few words. Yet, when he spoke, his voice carried authority and decisiveness. To be a team player also means that one should endeavour to be a unifier, a trait that Mabuza possessed in sufficient stock. In the run-up to the 2017 ANC national conference, and after, he was widely associated with the concept and practice of 'unity'. He appealed to Mpumalanga and all conference delegates to promote organisational unity and cohesion, in word and in deed. Unity is essential not only for the ANC. It is of critical importance to all South Africans, black and white. We sink or swim together. There is no better way to achieve national unity than to work towards the SA envisioned in the Freedom Charter. History is the work of the hands of more than an individual leader. However, it is nearly impossible to analyse the 2017 conference and its aftermaths without the role of Mabuza, among other actors.
The Herald
7 hours ago
- The Herald
Nomvula Mokonyane to visit the home of former deputy president David Mabuza
ANC first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane will on Saturday visit the home of the late former deputy president David Mabuza in Barberton, Mpumalanga. In a statement on Saturday, the ANC said the visit was part of the organisation's 'continued expression of condolences, solidarity and support to the Mabuza family and the broader community of Mpumalanga as the nation mourns the passing of a committed leader and servant of the people'. Mabuza died on Thursday, aged 64, at a hospital in Mpumalanga after a short illness. Mabuza was born at Phola Trust in Mpumalanga on August 25 1960. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of South Africa in 1989, after achieving a National Teacher's Certificate from Mgwenya College of Education in 1985, according to the presidency. Mabuza was a trained mathematics teacher and became a school principal before going into politics. Mabuza held a number of positions in government including Mpumalanga MEC for education between 1994 and 1998 and housing MEC between 1999 and 2001, He was an MP between 2001 and 2004, Mpumalanga MPL from 2004 to 2007, MEC for roads and transport between 2007 and 2008 and Mpumalanga premier from 2009 to 2018. The presidency said Mabuza rose through the ranks of the ANC, having been elected as: the chairperson of the ANC in Mpumalanga from 2008 to 2017; ex officio member of the national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC since 2007; deputy chairperson of the ANC Mpumalanga in 2005; chairperson of the South African Democratic Teachers Union from 1988 to 1991; co-ordinator of the National Education Crisis Committee from 1987 to 1989; chairperson of National Education Union of South Africa from 1986 to 1988; treasurer of Foundation for Education with Production from 1986 to 1990; and secretary of the Azanian Student Organisation from 1984 to 1985. President Cyril Ramaphosa had tasked Mabuza, during the 2019 to 2024 term of government, with a number of responsibilities. TimesLIVE
