Political analyst warns against politicising of the National Dialogue
Organisations, including the Thabo Mbeki and the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundations, recently pulled out of the team tasked with preparing for the first national convention and the subsequent National Dialogue.
They cited frustrations over rushed timelines and the slow allocation of resources to get the job done.
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Concerns have since emerged that the build-up to the National Dialogue will degenerate into political squabbles, getting in the way of its agenda to address socioeconomic issues.
Mnguni said a central and coordinated approach is needed to avert a push and pull over controls, which he believes could undermine the process.
'I think it can be fixed. I think the president, in the first instance, must open up room to ask the elders in society who are respected and young people who are trailblazers to come into the room to share ideas. There's a need to reconfigure this setup and the multiple bondo ques of power that have been created. You need a central coordinating structure that's going to have clear power and authority over this process.'
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