The national convention says the withdrawal of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and four others will not affect the national dialogue, which is set to start on Friday.
Last Friday, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Steve Biko, Chief Albert Luthuli, Desmond and Leah Tutu, as well as the FW de Klerk Foundation, released a joint statement stating that they will no longer be part of the National Dialogue preparatory team.
The national convention chairperson, Boichoko Ditlhake on Monday during a media briefing said that their withdrawal will not cause even the “slightest impact”.
“Over the past four days so much has been done compared to the [work done in the] past several months that I can state as a matter of fact hence our confidence that we will have this process on Friday and Saturday.
“In a nutshell, there's no impact and there will be no impact. There are organisations in society who came on board strongly and demonstrated that South Africans can rise if the need arises,” he said.
Ditlhake said the national dialogue will run for several months, and communities will be engaged through different media.
“Everyone will be able to get information and feed in details of their dialogue activities through a mobile app to be launched [by] the First National Convention. Millions of people will be engaged via community radio, national broadcasters, print media and social media campaigns,” he said.
On Friday, the national convention is set to discuss the need for the national dialogue, outline key themes to discuss and set up a committee that will coordinate the national dialogue. Role players are set to meet at Unisa Campus, Pretoria.
In a nutshell, there's no impact and there will be no impact. There are organisations in society who came on board strongly and demonstrated that South Africans can rise if the need arises,
— Boichoko Ditlhake, national convention chairperson
Ditlhake said 755 individuals have been invited from over 30 sectors and more than 200 organisations.
“As at yesterday, 557 people from 28 sectors had confirmed attendance,” he said
Rev Zwoitwaho Nevhutalu, spokesperson of the national convention said the biggest donation comes from Unisa, while Kagiso Trust donated R2m.
“We also know that NGO's have donated in kind, invested their time and resources and there will be other entities that support the future of this country and they will make [a] contribution to that,” he said.
In a separate briefing held by the second largest party in government, DA in Bruma in Johannesburg, the party leader John Steenhuisen said the national dialogue is a talk shop with no action.
"...while this country is bleeding, and while our people are suffering, the government wants to now spend hundreds of millions of rand on a national dialogue.
“A talk shop, with no action, no reform, no plan, and now, by the looks of things, even more dwindling support, with the announcements of further major foundations withdrawing from it,” he said.
This is after the DA withdrew from the “talk shop” weeks ago, with Steenhuisen saying it lacks credibility.
“It is an illegitimate initiative that frankly now lacks all credibility. And even former President Mbeki, who at the time was incredibly critical of our withdrawal from the dialogue, he expressed in an open letter, has now come to exactly the same conclusion that we came to. That this is an insider stitch-up designed so the ANC can revive its electoral fortunes, rather than a genuine discussion and action plan about the way forward,” he said.
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