Ministers and deputies to attend National Convention virtually due to space constraints
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.
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