WC COSATU host Workers' Day rally at Castle of Good Hope
African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula is one of the tripartite alliance leaders also on the bill to deliver messages of support.
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3 hours ago
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COSATU backs national convention despite tensions
JOHANNESBURG - Trade union federation Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has expressed satisfaction that the national convention will proceed as scheduled, despite tensions within the National Dialogue's organising team. Last week, legacy foundations, including the Thabo Mbeki and Steve Biko foundations, withdrew from the initiative, citing several concerns. The foundations had asked for a postponement of Thursday's convention to allow additional preparation time, but the president rejected their proposal. COSATU spokesperson Matthew Parks said delaying the event over a handful of concerns would only result in unnecessary setbacks. ALSO READ: • Blame game erupts between govt, legacy foundations over National Dialogue • Postponing upcoming national convention wouldn't have been possible - Ramaphosa "Whilst the federation appreciates legitimate concerns outlined by the Legacy Foundations and other organisations, these can and must be addressed and the Dialogue proceed as intended. If we wait for all issues, be it logistics, organisational or philosophical, to be resolved, we may find that time will simply run out." While limited funding was one of the reasons the foundations withdrew, Parks has urged the organising team to keep the dialogue's costs under control. "Whilst the Presidency is correct to push forward with the convening of the launch of the National Dialogue, it will do well to hear the skepticism of many, including workers, who correctly ask what will the Dialogue achieve and how will we ensure that it does not follow the same route of similar reviews and discussions previously held, including former President Kgalema Mothlanthe's High Level Panel Review that concluded in 2019 and was left to gather dust in Parliament."
Eyewitness News
3 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Parliament's appropriations committee to query funding of National Dialogue
CAPE TOWN - With the total cost of the National Dialogue still unclear and a major point of contention, Parliament's appropriations committee plans to query the expenditure. Chairperson Mmusi Maimane said he was concerned about how the National Dialogue would be funded and implemented. Over the weekend, the Presidency said the full budget was yet to be determined and would depend on donations and other free services. ALSO READ: • Presidency compares upcoming National Dialogue to CODESA • National Dialogue: Legacy foundations say it wasn't a knee-jerk reaction to withdraw • COSATU backs national convention despite tensions • Presidency caught up in battle with civil society groups over direction & cost of National Dialogue On Monday, the organising committee said this week's two-day national convention, which will precede the dialogue, would cost eight million rand. While the Presidency has indicated that it would be funding the first phases of the National Dialogue, along with NEDLAC, there's still no firm price tag for the undertaking. Initial estimated costs of more than R700 million have been criticised by some quarters, given the many competing demands on a constrained fiscus. Chairperson of Parliament's appropriations committee, Mmusi Maimane, said that while the National Dialogue was a critical initiative towards reimagining South Africa's future, he was concerned about the lack of a funding strategy. "There is no dedicated allocation in the national budget and, in an already constrained fiscal environment, we cannot afford to divert resources from other critical priorities. Any funding model must be sustainable, accountable and must not place additional burdens on taxpayers." He's now written to the National Treasury to provide clarity on the budget votes that will be funding the dialogue, and whether any government programmes will be affected by the diversion of funds. Maimane said that Treasury must provide a comprehensive list of the programmes that would be affected by funding the National Dialogue. He added that it was concerning that respected civil society voices were stepping away from the process. On Friday, several foundations, including those linked to former presidents, announced their withdrawal from the convention over disagreements with the Presidency over budget and logistical issues.
Eyewitness News
6 hours ago
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Steenhuisen: Withdrawal of legacy foundations from National Dialogue proves DA assertion initiative poorly planned
JOHANNESBURG - Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said the withdrawal of legacy foundations from the National Dialogue proved its assertion that the initiative was poorly planned. The DA is one of several organisations that have declined to participate in the National Dialogue, describing it as little more than an African National Congress (ANC) talk shop. ALSO READ: - National Dialogue: Legacy foundations say it wasn't a knee-jerk reaction to withdraw - National Dialogue: Archbishop Makgoba calls of legacy foundations to reconsider withdrawal - Blame game erupts between govt, legacy foundations over National Dialogue Most recently, the Steve Biko and Thabo Mbeki foundations also pulled out of the dialogue's organising committee, citing various concerns, including an insufficient budget. Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Steenhuisen said President Cyril Ramaphosa should consider scrapping the dialogue altogether. "Our citizens are sick to their back teeth with plans and talk shops that endlessly diagnosing the problems in South Africa and pushing us further into the quagmire of analysis paralysis." He said the dialogue would merely reiterate what has already been publicly ventilated. "We know what the problems are in South Africa. The problems are an economy that's not growing, unemployment, inequality, and the problem is too much talk and not enough action."
