President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday said the planned National Dialogue will not be another talk shop but will be used as an instrument to develop a social compact.

Speaking during the budget vote for The Presidency in the National Assembly, Ramaphosa said the National Dialogue was being convened in response to calls from individuals and formations from across society.

“This initiative has received wide support and has been endorsed by the Government of National Unity (GNU) as a significant national process to develop a social compact that will enable us to meet the aspirations of the National Development Plan,” he said.

He made the statement as the GNU’s second biggest partner, the DA, announced that it will boycott the National Dialogue citing the exorbitant amount budgeted for it convening after former minister Andrew Whitfield was axed from Cabinet after he went overseas without his approval.

Ramaphosa said the National Dialogue does not displace the democratic processes mandated by the Constitution nor the electoral mandates that parties carry into Parliament and the executive.

He said the country has to come together at every important moment in the history to define a shared vision and forge a path into the future in dialogue with one another.

“The National Dialogue is not just about talking. Like CODESA, like the National Peace Accord, like the consultation process that led to our new Constitution, the National Dialogue is expected to produce real results that have a tangible impact on people’s lives.”

Ramaphosa stated that they were called upon to use the National Dialogue as an instrument of development, transformation, progress, national cohesion and nation building.

“The National Dialogue does not displace the democratic processes mandated by our Constitution, nor the electoral mandates that parties carry into Parliament and the Executive.”

He also said the GNU will continue to take action to address the immediate concerns that all South Africans share to grow our economy, to create jobs, to tackle corruption and crime, and to fix local government.

Ramaphosa said when they established the GNU, they understood that they were embarking on a new era in the life of the country’s democracy.

“We understood that there would be complex dynamics and novel challenges that we would need to navigate.”

Citing one of successes of the GNU, he said they have together adopted the Medium Term Development Plan, which outlines clear actions to be undertaken over the next five years in pursuit of three strategic priorities.

He also said across all ministries, all departments and all national entities, there was a commitment to implement the agreed actions and to move with urgency and purpose to address the needs of South Africans.

“Most importantly, there is a shared understanding that we need to rise above our differences and to work together to make progress on our most important challenges. The approach of the GNU is to enhance national cohesion and nation building and to build partnerships across society to advance the common interests of all South Africans.”

Ramaphosa further said the formation of the GNU has inspired new hope in South Africans that they can make progress in addressing the most urgent challenges.

He said their task was to grow the economy, create jobs, reduce poverty, tackle corruption and crime, and build a state that worked with institutions that will stand the test of time.

“While we will always have differences and disagreements, we are all committed to staying the course and seeing these reforms through to the end.

“We must combine the strength of our principles and convictions with an openness and willingness to listen and adapt,” Ramaphosa said.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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