Civil society groups have expressed concerns over the current National Dialogue process, describing it as flawed and overly ambitious in its current form.

While acknowledging it as a significant break from past government-led engagements, they said it reflects a government “that has poor political will and no solutions.”

They added that “for once, the call is going to the public—overwhelmingly poor and working-class—for answers,” communities that have long been denied “a seat at the table, despite holding valid, urgent solutions.”

In a joint statement, the civil society group, which includes Abahlali BaseMjondolo, Afesis, Equal Education, LAMOSA, My Vote Counts, Ndifuna Ukwazi, Reclaim The City, Right2Know, Rural Women’s Assembly, SERI SA, and Workers’ World Media Productions, said that they are “here to disrupt any drift towards a state- or NGO-centric process and to ensure grassroots voices are centred.”

They pointed to a heartbreaking incident to illustrate the urgency, saying, “We are outraged that a mother in the Eastern Cape killed herself and her children-driven by hunger and despair. 

”There is no time for abstract debates; we need radical, direct action now. We choose to engage, extracting whatever value we can from this moment.”

The group also said they share concerns over “elite-capture and abuse of the space by political parties,” and expressed opposition to the government’s plan to create “a super structure of eminent persons,” which they said “is counter to those values.”

While acknowledging the country’s “fraught history with corruption and talk-shops,” they said “this history cannot be allowed to paralyse us from the urgency of our many crises.”

On accountability and legitimacy, the groups said they are “deeply troubled by the plan for ward-level dialogues on the eve of Local Government Elections.”

“We work with movements and communities most harmed by state failure—and we are here to amplify their plight with the urgency it demands.”

“We have rearranged our own work to seize this opportunity and we are here to challenge the state’s evasion of constitutional duties—especially regarding the dire need for socio-economic rights; to expose its refusal to account for wrongdoing; to resist any attempt to use our presence as cover for inaction; to insist on tangible outcomes and accountability mechanisms to implement resolutions that arise out of the National Dialogue process; and to support mobilising efforts to build real people’s power.”

The group questioned the government’s capacity to implement solutions.

”Our concerns are clear: a defunct Parliament, the widening distance between the political elite and ordinary people, the rise of right-wing extremism, and the advance of regressive policies. If we are absent, we risk forfeiting the chance to shape this process as it unfolds.”

“Is it the same government that is yet to deliver for the people in meaningful ways?”

The groups said they ”see an obligation to engage. The government’s dysfunction is predictable— and a distraction that suggests we wait a bit longer.”

“If we wait for this mythical ‘right moment,’ we surrender our agency and choose paralysis,” they said. 

The groups said the National Dialogue “admits a hard truth: that the state is out of ideas and offers an opening—however fragile.”

They stated their continued participation will depend on “a clear commitment to meaningful engagement and public participation that gives communities real decision-making power,” along with “the creation of sincere accountability mechanisms to monitor, influence, and hold government responsible for implementing its arising commitment. 

”Ultimately, the groups call for “a people-driven process, one that is rooted in justice and led by those most affected.”

hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za 

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