NATIONAL DIALOGUE TO PROCEED DESPITE CONTROVERSY

Mon 11 August 2025:

First national convention to kick off this week amidst funding debates and concerns over rushed planning

Preparations for South Africa’s inaugural National Convention are moving forward this week, despite significant controversy, the withdrawal of several prominent legacy foundations, and lingering questions over its budget.

The convention, scheduled to begin on Friday, 15 August, is intended to launch a country-wide national dialogue aimed at addressing the nation’s most pressing social, economic, and political challenges.

The Presidency has confirmed the event will proceed, even after foundations representing former presidents Thabo Mbeki and FW de Klerk, as well as those of Steve Biko and Desmond and Leah Tutu, pulled out. In a joint statement last week, the foundations cited a rushed timeline, inadequate preparation, and a loss of citizen-led focus as primary reasons for their withdrawal, arguing that “dialogue cannot be built on haste.” They had proposed rescheduling the convention to after 15 October to allow for better planning.

Adding to the tensions, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has backed the decision to proceed, stating that while the foundations’ concerns are legitimate, they can be addressed without delaying the process.

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Funding and logistics under scrutiny

A major point of contention has been the dialogue’s budget. An initial figure of R700 million, which organisers now clarify was a preliminary estimate from the preparatory task team and not a final government budget, drew widespread criticism.

Former President Thabo Mbeki highlighted the financial uncertainty as a key factor in his foundation’s withdrawal, stating, “We feel the organisation of the matter was not entirely honest as to where the funds will be directed.”

Organisers have since clarified the funding model, explaining that 60% of the costs are expected to be covered by the government, with the remaining 40% sourced from donors in cash or in kind.

The University of South Africa (Unisa) has stepped in to sponsor the first convention, providing the venue and associated services free of charge to reduce the burden on the state’s fiscus. The Kagiso Trust has also contributed a R2 million donation.

The bulk of the eventual budget is intended for over 13 000 community-level dialogues planned to take place in wards across the country. This grassroots engagement is central to the vision of the national dialogue.

Despite the high-profile withdrawals, organisers report that 557 people from 28 sectors had confirmed their attendance by Sunday. The convention aims to bring together around 200 organisations from 33 sectors to produce a framework that will guide the broader national dialogue process, culminating in a social compact next year.