Build One SA leader Mmusi Maimane has called on South Africans to take up the opportunity presented by the national dialogue and participate in reshaping the country's morale.
He believes this is a crucial moment for the country to discuss its future as a maturing democracy.
“Now, 31 years into our democracy, it is important for South Africans to forge a consensus about what the country looks like. The question on the table is, who is on trial? Some say the government is on trial, and yes, because the government has demonstrated huge governance failures, on the economy, safety of citizens and in many other areas.”
However historically troubled the government has been, Maimane says, the citizens need to introspect and reflect on their own contribution to wrongdoing in the country.
“At the same time, the moral fabric of our society is also on trial. It cannot be that the fault resides in government when you see parents murdering their own children and young people falling pregnant, when we knowingly vote for leaders who are not ethical.”
Maimane says the dialogue comes at an important moment and everyone should work to ensure its success.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We mess this national dialogue up, be assured that we will not be able to hold another one. Therefore it is within that context that we have to do everything possible to ensure that the process is not politicised, that it is not corrupted and that ultimately the right people are in the room to have the conversation.
“I hold the view that the CEO who works in Sandton must be able to interact with the entrepreneur from Alexandra. So that we forge a new pathway as a country for the next 31 years. It is within that, where we have to say that our nation is on trial when we think about the national dialogue.”
Maimane called on the “disgruntled legacy foundations” such as the Thabo Mbeki Foundation to attend the dialogue, despite their concerns.
“I am appealing to the foundations, that while they may have challenges with the process, I am inviting them back into the fold. They must come back. I want to equally say to South Africans that we all have to ensure that this process works.”
Maimane said he had written to President Cyril Ramaphosa and finance minister Enoch Godongwana in a bid to make the intervention non-partisan and as inexpensive as possible.
“I asked the ministry of finance for a thorough funding plan and accountability structure. South Africans are not represented in a lekgotla or anywhere else. They are represented in parliament. Godongwana responded extensively about what the national dialogue would effectively cost.
“In essence, he commits that coming out of the contingency reserve fund, the country will spend R485m. This is not a small amount, it is half a billion rand technically.”
The parliament portfolio chairperson on appropriations said he would put it into context using the Presidency's budget vote for comparison.
“The Presidency's budget is below a billion rand. When you say you are going to spend half a billion rand, you must understand it is significant.
“What could this money have done? It could have at least employed 2,972 teachers at a full-year salary, feeding around 497,000 learners for a 200-day school year, you could be building just over 2,400 RDP houses, you could be providing 48,500 youth with learnerships, or even 24,250 start-ups with R20,000 grants.”
Maimane says he is comforted by Godongwana's promise to safeguard the financial aspect of the process.
“The commitment from the minister is that we are going to use some of the money that was allocated to Nedlac. The municipalities will make their contributions in kind and they will pursue other in-kind donations from in the private sector.
“We will be there to make sure that each and every rand is spent correctly.”
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