President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, is expected to address the media at the Union Buildings on Thursday afternoon to provide updates on the President’s agenda and discuss pressing national matters, which might include the controversial National Dialogue.

The National Dialogue, scheduled to take place in Pretoria on August 15 and 16, has drawn widespread criticism from political parties, civil society groups, and legacy foundations. 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), both members of the Government of National Unity (GNU), have withdrawn from the dialogue, accusing the ANC of using the process to bolster its support ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

Tensions within the GNU have been evident since its formation following the May 2024 general elections. 

The DA, the second-largest party in the GNU, has clashed with the ANC over several policy positions. 

Some political analysts argue that the DA continues to operate as an opposition party, while the ANC is accused of behaving as though it still holds a ruling majority, despite falling short of one in the last election.

ActionSA also announced on Wednesday that it will not formally participate in the National Dialogue, citing unresolved concerns about the process and the legality of its funding. 

However, the party will send two senior Members of Parliament, Dr Kgosi Letlape and Lerato Ngobeni,  to attend in an observer capacity.

ActionSA Parliamentary Leader Athol Trollip said that the party is dissatisfied with the dialogue’s organisation, particularly the lack of meaningful engagement with stakeholders and parliamentary committees, especially regarding the budgeting of the event.

“ActionSA remains unconvinced that any of the concerns raised by key stakeholders, organisers, and the broader public have been addressed,” Trollip said.

“There is an insistence on forging ahead despite serious, unresolved questions, particularly regarding the lawful appropriation of the budget, a matter on which no parliamentary committee has been duly engaged.”

He confirmed the two MPs attending the event would do so at their own expense and with a strict mandate to assess whether the convention is a meaningful platform for reform or simply an electioneering exercise misusing public funds.

Last week on Friday, several prominent legacy foundations also withdrew from the process. 

These include the Steve Biko Foundation, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, WDB Foundation, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, and the Strategic Dialogue Group.

In a joint statement, the organisations said the decision was taken with “deep regret” but was necessary to protect the credibility and integrity of the process. 

They accused the organisers of shifting the initiative from its original citizen-led approach towards government control.

“What began as a citizen-led initiative has unfortunately in practice shifted towards government control,” the statement read.

Lobby groups AfriForum and Solidarity have also pulled out of the dialogue.

Earlier this week, Reverend Zwoitwaho Nevhutalu, spokesperson for the National Convention organising committee, responded to criticism over the reported R700 million budget for the dialogue. 

He clarified that the figure was a draft proposal prepared by a preparatory task team and not an official government allocation.

“You see, the budget that people were talking about, the R700m and so on, was a budget prepared by the preparatory task team. It’s not a government budget,” he said in a media briefing on Monday.

Nevhutalu explained that the funding framework envisions 60% of the costs being covered by the government through the fiscus, with the remaining 40% to come from private donors, businesses, and civil society, including in-kind contributions such as venue provision from churches and municipalities.

“Civil society has already done a lot,” Nevhutalu said. 

He argued that the National Dialogue is a “people’s project” and not solely a government initiative.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politcs

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