Africa-Press – South-Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised his standing amid the wrangling over the national dialogue.
Taking to the podium to address the national convention meant to kick off the dialogue, the president maintained he is well within his rights to oversee the process as its convener.
“I have called this first national convention in my capacity as your president, as the head of state. I have done so in line with section 83 of our constitution, which requires the president, as the head of state and head of the national executive, to promote the unity of the nation and that which will advance the republic.
“This is what brings me here. This is why I invited all of you here, to be here and be part of this dialogue,” said Ramaphosa.
Despite the dramatic 11th-hour withdrawal from the dialogue by legacy foundations, Ramaphosa insisted there was a need to forge ahead as planned.
Thanking them for their work preparing for the dialogue, Ramaphosa said any hesitation or postponement could erode trust in the process by civil society organisations and NGOs invited to share their views.
“For more than a year, various formations of civil society have been working to conceptualise and champion the national dialogue. Central to this effort have been a number of legacy foundations established by and named for stalwarts of our liberation struggle. We express our gratitude and appreciation for the work of these foundations in giving life to the national dialogue.”
He said this would open up a space where South Africans confront their realities openly, respectfully and constructively.
“This is not a partisan platform. This is a national platform. Here, no voice is too small and no perspective is too inconvenient to be heard. We are gathered to listen to each other, to understand one another and to chart a common path forward for our country.
“We meet at a time of profound challenges: economic hardship, unemployment, inequality, growing poverty and a crisis of confidence in our institutions. We also meet at a time when the world is rapidly changing and our ability to adapt and renew ourselves will define the next generation. But history teaches us that nations are not defined solely by their difficulties; they are defined by how they respond to challenges they face.”
Ramaphosa said the South African struggle was one for freedom from the nightmare of apartheid, one that proved there was unity in diversity.
“It is a powerful force for transformation. Gathered in this hall are people from all across our land, people from all walks of life, people of all races, all classes, all languages and cultures.”
Despite the diversity of those participating in forums like the dialogue, one thing that held South Africans together was that they were all “sons and daughters of the same soil”.
“We share a common past. We share the same inheritance of division, of inequality and of injustice. We share the same pride at ending the crime of apartheid and establishing a constitutional democracy. We also share a common future. And that is why we have chosen to gather here today. Because each one of us, regardless of our differences, is committed to work together to build the future of which we all dream.
“We have chosen to be here because we believe in the power of dialogue and united action. We believe that if we share our concerns and fears, we can conquer them. If we understand the challenges we face, we can overcome them.
“If we know what hurts us, we can heal. If we know what divides us, we can unite.”
He said across the length and breadth of South Africa, people would, and should, meet to talk about what worried them, what gave them hope and how they thought their lives and the country could be better.
Ramaphosa urged delegates to hold “difficult conversations” on the challenges facing the country, such as gender-based violence, femicide, economic inequality and sexism.
“Why do South African women have to live in fear of men? Why do so many people live in abject poverty and so few live lives of opulence? Why, after decades of democracy, are the prospects for a white child so much better than those of a black child? Why do women get paid less than men for the same work?
“Why, when we have a Bill of Rights, are LGBTQI+ people still discriminated against, stigmatised and harassed? Why do clinics run out of medicine? Why do taps run dry? These are some of the questions we must be willing to ask and prepared to answer.”
The president said the country had a responsibility to find solutions.
“These are the challenges we must be ready to do something about — as individuals, as organisations, as communities, as parents, as elected representatives, as public officials. The national dialogue is a call to debate and to discuss. More importantly, the national dialogue is a call to action.
“It is a call to all South Africans to seize this moment. It is a call to build a society in which there is a place for everyone, where the country’s wealth is shared by all — a South Africa that truly belongs to all who live in it.”
He reminded delegates that the idea of the convention was not to have the dialogue, but to start the dialogue.
“Gathered here are more than 1,000 people from over 200 organisations across all sectors of society. Our task is to prepare for the thousands of public dialogues that will happen in communities across the country over the next six to eight months. We are here to consider some of the themes that may arise in these discussions, understanding that it is ultimately the people of this country that will determine the issues that should be discussed.
“We are here to reflect on how we should approach these public dialogues, what methods we should use to ensure that everyone has a say and that the discussions take place in an environment that promotes understanding and encourages healing. Through this national convention we seek to equip delegates to be champions and enablers of these public dialogues. We seek to ensure we give the space to South Africans to define the outcome of the national dialogue process, so that these thousands of conversations can be drawn together into a clear vision for the country and an agreed programme of action.”
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