logo
The National Dialogue must be truly South African!

The National Dialogue must be truly South African!

eNCA6 days ago
President Cyril Ramaphosa convenes the Cabinet Lekgotla
ESA ALEXANDER / POOL / AFP
AFP
JOHANNESBURG - The upcoming national convention represents a water-shed moment for South Africa's young democracy. Consequently, the impact of its success or failures will linger with us for generations.
This convention, a precursor to the National Dialogue, presents an opportunity for South Africans to have a say on what they think should be the country's developmental trajectory. It presents an opportunity for South Africans to outline the details of certain norms and values that must be universally agreed to, by the people of South Africa.
Therefore, it is very important for us to pen down some of the issues that need to be addressed, as the national convention sets the agenda for the National Dialogue:
Firstly, we need a new social contract or compact between the people and our government. The trust deficit between government and citizens has been laid bare for all of us to see. We, therefore, need an agenda on the characteristics of governance that the people want from their leaders.
Communities need ward councillors and Parliamentary Constituent Offices to start working with the people to raise issues at the highest echelons of government. We currently have an elite group of councillors who only listen to their constituencies only during times of elections or if they need the people to do something for them – something they call 'mobilising communities' for protests etc. We have a self-serving elite that listen only to themselves and ward councillors who have moved out of their wards to better places, at the expense of their constituents.
Heidi Giokos
eNCA
Furthermore, we need a universally agreed moral regeneration. Our society has lost all sense of what is morally right or wrong, or plainly put they have negated all forms of morality. The burgeoning criminal networks that have more disposable income than your highest performing academics, the rise of open prostitution on social media and other platforms and the ever-diminishing lack of proper role models in our communities, have all contributed to the moral degeneration of our society.
Neighbourhoods where street corners have been turned into drug dens and drug lords and criminals are celebrated more than exemplary police officers, teachers and doctors. We need to question the moral fibre of community members.
The people of South Africa need to define their own set of moral values that will deal decisively with these issues, that remain a scourge of our society. The situation has gotten so out of hand, to the extent that police officers like Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi have become whistleblowers themselves, instead of protecting those who blow the whistle on wrongdoing.
These are symptoms of a morally deficient country, which must define its path to morality urgently. And this path will be a painful one, but necessary for our multidimensional moral regeneration.
eNCA
Additionally, we need the people of South Africa to define what they want their foreign policy to look like. Albeit that this is the prerogative – solely – of the president according to our constitution, we need South Africans to define their own foreign policy and interests.
The national convention will serve as a great platform for such crucial matters to be discussed, even if they require a constitutional amendment, that will define what South Africa wants to achieve on the international front. To get an idea of why this needs to happen, one only just needs to look at the Government of National Unity as society in microcosm.
On the questions of Israel, Saharawi and the United States, members of the GNU hold different positions on each of these states. For example, the ANC's position on Israel is that we should support the Palestinian struggles and raise awareness. Contrary to the ANC, the DA and PA have all come out in full support of Israel and called for the normalisation of relations between the two countries.
There are of course two sides to every situation, and my aim is not to choose sides. But such a stalemate between the parties surely warrants the need for the national dialogue to discuss – as official policy – the direction the state should take with regards to actions needed to be taken, to bring about peace in that region. These need to be part of the agenda because we have been spending millions of rand on the genocide case without clearly listening to what South Africans need.
South Africans might say that they do not want the demonisation of Israel. In the same vein, they may call for intensification of the demonisation agenda against Israel and even Morocco (In the case of the Saharawi people).
The crux of the matter is that the country's foreign policy has always been what the ANC thinks is 'good' for us. Especially to those who supported the liberation movement during the struggle against apartheid. Therefore, the ANC government must retain the favour.
Although we are all against Human Rights violations, we must do so with the knowledge that the people of South Africa are fully behind the decisions. A decision, in the case of Israel, has been very polarising in nature. You have religious leaders who pledge allegiance to Israel without necessarily conforming to government official policy. This is symptomatic of a society that is not in sync with itself. Therefore, we need that on the agenda for the sake of synchronicity.
Lastly, the national dialogue must be 'National' in character and in form. It must not be another elite talk shop which speaks for the people without the people. From the days of CODESA to date, our country has suffered the tyranny of the 'clever' elite who decide what the people want without truly listening.
By:
*Muloiwa holds a Masters of Arts in Political Studies and is currently enrolled for an MSc in Science Communication at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The DA is failing dismally
The DA is failing dismally

The Citizen

time29 minutes ago

  • The Citizen

The DA is failing dismally

Every passing week brings a new reversal for the DA. Party leader John Steenhuisen has misjudged every single power play made by the ANC. The DA performed much better as the official opposition than it did in its self-appointed role as the party that would galvanise the government of national unity (GNU). The same is true of its leader, John Steenhuisen. Its ministers have executed their duties with a zeal that puts their ANC counterparts to shame. But its larger strategy has fallen flat. The DA believed this link-up for the greater good with its former foe was a prerequisite for achieving the economic lift-off that would drag in its slipstream a fleet of benefits, such as revitalised institutions. It is self-evident that nothing like that has happened. ALSO READ: Steenhuisen has made a bad situation worse with tactical blunders Instead, the DA has been house-trained by the ANC. It barks furiously and still strains at the leash on occasion, but it will sit up and beg on President Cyril Ramaphosa's command. While I don't share the disdain of many journalists for Steenhuisen, some of the criticism is deserved. As DA leader, he has misjudged every single power play made by the ANC, from accepting a poor partnership deal at the outset to being goaded into making meaningless threats that he has been forced to back off from. Every passing week brings a new reversal for the DA. This week, its support ensured that the Appropriation Bill for all government departments was passed at its first reading. It's about as complete a climbdown as can be imagined for a party that had threatened to block the Bill. The plan had been that this would be the DA riposte to Ramaphosa's sudden firing of the DA's Andrew Whitfield, Steenhuisen had been incandescent. 'If this situation is not corrected, it will go down as the greatest political mistake in modern SA history,' he warned parliament. On the face of it, it was a brilliantly simple move. The DA would counter the ANC by singling out only departments headed by ministers implicated in corruption. ALSO READ: Steenhuisen warned of 'insubordination' over national dialogue stance Unless Ramaphosa sacked those ministers within 48 hours, the DA would join the uMkhonto weSizwe party and the department of economic development in voting down their departmental budgets, thus stymying the passage of the Appropriation Bill. The DA, said Steenhuisen, would vote against the departmental budgets of Nobuhle Nkabane (higher education), Thembi Simelane (human settlements) and 'corruption-accused ANC ministers'. The DA would also withdraw from the National Dialogue, no doubt the DA was chortling at its genius. At least three 'compromised' ANC politicians would bite the dust and the DA would be perceived to be guardians of governmental integrity. It didn't work out quite like that. Ramaphosa did indeed fire Nkabane, but it had more to do with ANC self-interest than the DA ultimatum. She was already fatally politically wounded and facing cross-party, including ANC, sanctions from the parliamentary ethics committee. ALSO READ: 'Long overdue' – Opposition parties welcome Nkabane's removal And in a real up-yours, Ramaphosa didn't fire any of the other DA-named ministers. This turned out to be just another dismally misjudged power play by Steenhuisen. But Steenhuisen has hinted that he has one card to play: proposing a motion of no confidence. This would not mean a general election – constitutionally, the earliest this could happen is in 2027 – but if it succeeded, Ramaphosa would have to resign. In that kind of scramble, because the ANC is so deeply divided, the DA could, at last, influence the direction of the state by choosing the person at the top, rather than merely lending the party their votes. It's time for the DA to etch a steely red line. READ NEXT: 'Right-wing nexus': Presidency cautions South Africans against the DA

Zim activist Duke Maplanka Atterbell criticises South Africa's treatment of foreign nationals
Zim activist Duke Maplanka Atterbell criticises South Africa's treatment of foreign nationals

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Zim activist Duke Maplanka Atterbell criticises South Africa's treatment of foreign nationals

Hope Ntanzi | Published 18 hours ago Zimbabwean activist Duke Maplanka Atterbell says the South African government is complicit in systemic discrimination against foreign nationals and has failed to act in the face of escalating xenophobic violence and medical exclusion. In a formal letter dated 27 July 2025, addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of health, Minister of home affairs and the South African Human Rights Commission , Atterbell accused the state of both silence and active neglect, warning of formal complaints to African and international human rights bodies if urgent action is not taken. "I write this letter as both a concerned African citizen and a representative voice of thousands of foreign nationals, especially Zimbabweans, living in South Africa," Atterbell said. He described a worsening situation where 'foreign nationals are being chased out of hospitals, clinics, and even maternity wards. Others are beaten in the streets, publicly humiliated, or threatened by vigilantes emboldened by government silence.' His letter denounced what he calls a double standard in South Africa's global human rights stance, referencing Pretoria's condemnation of injustice abroad while allegedly turning a blind eye at home. 'How can South Africa claim the mantle of human rights defender abroad, while at home it presides over de facto ethnic cleansing through economic and medical exclusion? This hypocrisy is staggering,' he said. Atterbell warned that if no action is taken, he will escalate the matter by filing complaints with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the South African Human Rights Commission. He also promised to engage in public advocacy and international media exposure. 'This is not governance, it is abandonment,' he wrote. 'This is not the South Africa that the continent stood behind during the anti-apartheid struggle. This is not Ubuntu.' Atterbell's appeal comes amid rising tensions in the country over undocumented migration, especially concerning access to jobs and healthcare. In March 2024, radio personality Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma launched March and March, a non-governmental organisation that actively campaigns against the employment and public healthcare access of undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa. What began in KwaZulu-Natal has now spread nationally, with March and March volunteers stationed at entrances of hospitals including Addington Hospital, RK Khan Hospital, and various Gateway Clinics across the province. The group screens patients before entry, turning away those unable to produce South African ID documents. 'We operate where the government has failed,' the group has said. While critics have labelled it a vigilante operation targeting vulnerable people, the organisation continues to draw strong support from South Africans who believe hospitals are being overrun by foreigners. Responding to Atterbell's letter, Ngobese-Zuma posted on Facebook: ' He is Zimbabwean and writes to OUR President and not HIS… Kshuthi ngampela they believe they are South African‼️ Kshuthi we owe them‼️ Kshuthi we must intensify our fight because mentally these ppl don't think that we are serious.'' (Translated : He is Zimbabwean and writes to OUR President and not HIS… Maybe, seriously, they believe they are South African! Maybe we owe them! Maybe we must intensify our fight because mentally these people don't think that we are serious.'') Atterbell was quick to respond addressing Ngobese-Zuma in defiant terms. 'When Dudula royalty thinks they can intimidate you,' he said, in reference to her association with nationalist movements. 'Jacinta Zinhle MaNgobese Zuma, let's get one thing straight. I am not here to bow before self-appointed foot soldiers of hate. ''I am an enigma, not because I hide, but because I refuse to allow you to spread your bitter view of patriotism unchecked. I am a fearless advocate for human rights, not because it's easy, but because people like you have made silence a weapon. And yes, I am a hater of bigotry — proudly, loudly, and unapologetically.' He continued, accusing Ngobese-Zuma of masking fear as nationalism: 'You walk around with your chest puffed out like you're some gatekeeper of South Africa's soul. But what you really are is a loud emblem of fear, disguised as pride. You lead mobs, I lead with conscience. You shout in mobs, I speak in truth. You weaponise suffering, I document it.' Addressing her direct challenge, Atterbell wrote: 'You asked, 'Who are you?' Let me answer clearly: I am the one your hate cannot reach and your intimidation cannot shake. ''I am the storm you didn't see coming, and the voice you'll wish you hadn't tried to silence. Because while you scream for borders, I fight for bridges. While you hunt the vulnerable, I summon accountability. And while you wave your flag with fury, I carry the Constitution with fire.' 'So no, MaNgobese. I won't be quiet. Not now. Not ever,'' said Atterbell. Atterbell, however, insists that the fight is not against South Africa, but for human dignity. 'If your government fails to act, history, and international law, will remember it not for its silence, but for its complicity.' [email protected] Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL News

More than 40 killed in rebel attack in northeast DR Congo
More than 40 killed in rebel attack in northeast DR Congo

Eyewitness News

time2 hours ago

  • Eyewitness News

More than 40 killed in rebel attack in northeast DR Congo

BUNIA - More than 40 people were killed Sunday in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern DR Congo, ending a months-long period of regional calm, the UN mission and Congolese military said. The ADF, which pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2019, raided a Catholic church in the town of Komanda where worshippers were gathered for prayer, residents told AFP by telephone from Bunia, capital of Ituri province. The attack killed 43 people including nine children, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country. "These targeted attacks on defenseless civilians, especially in places of worship, are not only revolting but also contrary to all norms of human rights and international humanitarian law," said Vivian van de Perre, deputy chief of the peacekeeping mission. The Congolese army denounced the "large-scale massacre", adding that "around forty civilians were surprised and killed with machetes and several others were seriously injured". It said the ADF had decided to take "revenge on defenseless peaceful populations to spread terror". Local sources had reported an earlier death toll of at least 35. Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, army spokesman in Ituri, did not comment on the toll but confirmed the attack to AFP, saying "the enemy is believed to have been identified among ADF" rebels. The bloodshed comes after months of calm in the region of Ituri, bordering Uganda. The last major attack by the ADF was in February, leaving 23 dead in Mambasa territory. The town of Komanda in Irumu territory is a commercial hub linking three other provinces -- Tshopo, North Kivu, and Maniema. The ADF, originally Ugandan rebels who are predominantly Muslim, have killed thousands of civilians and ramped up looting and killing in northeastern DRC despite the deployment of the Ugandan army alongside Congolese armed forces in the area. At the end of 2021, Kampala and Kinshasa launched a joint military operation against the ADF, dubbed "Shujaa", which has so far been unable to dislodge the group. The Congolese army promised to continue tracking the ADF and called on the population "to remain extra vigilant and report any suspicious presence to the defense and security forces".

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store