BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane urges legacy foundations to rejoin National Dialogue
Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Dr Mmusi Maimane has called on legacy organisations, including the Thabo Mbeki and Steve Biko foundations, to reconsider their withdrawal from the National Dialogue and make a return to the dialogue.
Maimane appealed during a media briefing held in Rosebank, Johannesburg, on Thursday, where he addressed rising tensions within the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the controversy surrounding the National Dialogue.
“We hold the view that we must forge a new consensus about what South Africa’s future should look like,” Maimane said.
“The question on the table is: who is on trial? Many have arrived at the dialogue and pointed fingers at the government. And rightly so – there have been massive governance failures, not only in the economy and safety of citizens, but in many other areas.”
However, he said that South Africa’s moral fabric is also under scrutiny.
“It cannot be that accountability only lies with the government when we see parents murdering their own children. It cannot be that young people are falling pregnant at alarming rates. It cannot be that we applaud corrupt individuals, send them to Parliament, and then act surprised when they fail us. As citizens, we vote for leadership – and too often, that leadership lacks ethics.”
Maimane described the National Dialogue as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” that must not be squandered.
“We must get this right. We may not have another opportunity like this. That is why we must ensure the process is not politicised or corrupted – and that the right people are in the room.”
He reiterated his appeal to civil society organisations and legacy foundations to rejoin the dialogue.
“Despite the challenges with the process, I urge them to return. They must come back. We must do everything possible to make this dialogue work – and it will only work if it is inclusive and non-political.”
Maimane’s comments come in the wake of the widely criticised National Convention of the National Dialogue, held last Friday and Saturday at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria.
The event has been marred by controversy, with several prominent individuals and organisations – including former president Thabo Mbeki, legacy foundations, civil society groups, and GNU members – withdrawing from the process.
Legacy foundations such as the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation raised concerns about the rushed implementation, lack of transparency around a reported R700 million budget, and a perceived shift towards government control.
“True dialogue means bringing people together, getting people to speak together – not just to speak to each other,” Ramaphosa said during the event.
“We need to be inside the tent, not outside it. And we need one tent – not multiple tents having parallel conversations.”
He added that the National Dialogue is “a call to action, not a platform for spectators.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) also withdrew, accusing the African National Congress (ANC) of using the platform to boost its image ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Tensions within the GNU have been ongoing since its formation, with the DA and FF Plus frequently clashing with the ANC over key policy matters.
Opposition parties including the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party have dismissed the process as an “expensive sideshow” aimed at bypassing Parliament and centralising power in the Presidency.
Controversial lobby groups AfriForum and Solidarity have also pulled out of the dialogue.
Ramaphosa has denied claims that the process would cost taxpayers R740 million, insisting it would be run at minimal cost using community halls, schools and churches as venues.
“That R740 million figure is not accurate,” he said. “We can do this much more cheaply. Lower costs must be the order of the day.”
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
IOL Politics