R700m National Dialogue under fire over funding, exclusions, and ‘elite capture'

IOL News

4 days ago

Concerns mount over South Africa's National Dialogue funding and inclusivity
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The National Dialogue, projected to unfold across communities in the coming months, arrives amid a volley of concerns from independent analysts, the withdrawal of several foundational organisations, and questions about how the process will be funded and what it can realistically achieve.
Public attention has fixated on the plan's price tag with more than an estimated R700 million.
Critics argue that such a large outlay is out of step with a fiscus already pressed by competing demands, especially when many parties have withdrawn.
This has triggered concerns about the dialogue's potential if broad civil society participation is constrained.
Dr Metjie Makgoba, an independent political analyst and senior lecturer at the University of Limpopo, warned that rushing the dialogue may replicate past missteps.
In his view, the desperation to proceed discounts the need to address deeper structural issues.
'South Africa has historical problems,' and unless those are tackled - especially the persistent race- and class-based inequalities, the dialogue could be more symbolic than substantive.
'It's impossible to practice democracy in a society that remains divided along race, class, and gender lines,' he said, stressing that any genuine dialogue would require structural remedies before consensus-building can even begin.
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Makgoba's broader point is that a process driven by a diversified, multi-stakeholder agenda is inherently challenging to converge on a familiar path forward.
He suggested that the state's current trajectory, seen by some as pursuing a liberal, market-led project, complicates efforts to frame a dialogue all sectors can buy into.
'The key factor is that the government is pushing a capitalist, liberal project, and the dialogue becomes a symbolic gesture that signals care without delivering on the underlying inequalities.'
Parliament's eye on money raised further questions about accountability.
Mmusi Maimane, chair of Parliament's Standing Committee on Appropriations, has written to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to clarify funding sources and governance for the National Dialogue.
'Where is the money coming from?' he asked during an interview on SABC on Tuesday, insisting that public money must be accountable and allocated only through an act of Parliament.
He pressed for details on a quoted R700 million budget line, asking why the item was not specified in the budget and where those funds would be redirected.
'Any money used for the public must be accounted for,' Maimane said, highlighting the need for parliamentary oversight of the process.
Political analyst Sandile Swana sharply criticised the National Dialogue's inclusivity and legitimacy.
He argued that several organisations have been excluded because their participation could challenge the current economic status quo.
Swana framed this as a broader 'elite capture' concern, suggesting that a document produced by the ruling elites might fail to reflect the needs of ordinary South Africans.
'If the National Dialogue were to expose a 'grave train' of entrenched interests and incompetence, those affected could feel compelled to seek drastic remedies, including questions about the vitality and direction of governance itself,' said Swana.
Despite concerns, organisers have pressed ahead, highlighting the need for broad participation and the long-term aim of national coherence.
Boichoko Ditlhake, chairperson of the National Convention organising committee, told reporters on Monday that the dialogue will proceed while acknowledging the controversy.
In addition to the convening, public dialogues will be rolled out across communities and sectors in the months ahead, intended to invite input from diverse stakeholders.
The controversy surrounding the withdrawals from several high-profile foundations, including the Steve Biko Foundation, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation, FW de Klerk Foundation, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, and the Strategic Dialogue Group, has cast a pall over what many had hoped would be a more inclusive process.