The inaugural South African National Convention, held on August 15-16, 2025, at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria, was intended to spark a sweeping nationwide dialogue on some of the country’s most pressing challenges. Yet, even as President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the event with a call for unity and participation, the gathering quickly became a focal point for controversy—marked by high-profile withdrawals, technical hiccups, and public criticism over its legitimacy and cost.
President Ramaphosa, addressing over 1,200 delegates on the first day, set the tone for the event, describing the National Convention as the starting point for a broader National Dialogue. This dialogue, he explained, would eventually encompass 13,000 meetings across the country, aiming to foster social cohesion, tackle deep-seated social ills, and remove barriers to economic growth. "We have come together in this National Convention not to have the dialogue, but to start the dialogue," Ramaphosa told attendees, according to reporting from The Presidency. He urged South Africans to move from the sidelines and engage actively in shaping the nation’s future, saying, "This we cannot do when we are sitting on the sidelines; this we cannot do when we do not want to be part of this conversation and this we cannot do when we sit on the sidelines and criticise. We need to be inside rather than outside the tent."
Despite the president’s rallying cry, the event was overshadowed by a wave of withdrawals from several prominent foundations. According to IOL, the Steve Biko Foundation, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation, FW de Klerk Foundation, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, and the Strategic Dialogue Group all pulled out, voicing concerns over transparency, funding, and government influence. Their absence, coupled with the withdrawal of the Democratic Alliance in protest over the president’s firing of a deputy minister, raised sharp questions about the dialogue’s credibility. Critics argued that the process risked becoming detached from the realities facing ordinary South Africans, especially as the country contends with a severe cost-of-living crisis, rising unemployment, and faltering public services.
The National Convention’s spokesperson, Rev Zwoitwaho Nevhutalu, pushed back against suggestions that the government had hijacked the process. He told IOL that the event was actually oversubscribed, with thirty sectors identified for participation, and insisted, "The Legacy foundations raised none of the issues about the government taking over our process." Nevhutalu emphasized that both the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) and the Preparatory Task Team (PTT) were actively advising on the convention’s structure, ensuring legal compliance and seeking ways to expand citizen participation without sacrificing quality. He acknowledged the withdrawals but said he was unaware of specific grievances beyond the general concerns about government influence, noting, "There’s a big window of opportunity for people to engage… the EPG will engage with those who have dissociated themselves from the National Dialogue." He called on non-participants to reconsider, urging them to "join the dialogue for the nation."
But the criticism did not end there. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and other parties publicly rejected the National Dialogue, labeling it "outrageous and wasteful." They pointed to an estimated expenditure of at least R700 million on the process, questioning its value at a time when so many citizens are struggling. Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations, led by Mmusi Maimane, also stepped in, requesting clarification from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on the dialogue’s funding sources and governance. According to IOL, the committee’s intervention underscored deepening anxieties about the process’s transparency and accountability.
Technical glitches and even a medical emergency marred the opening day, as reported by ENCA. Some delegates walked out after the keynote speech, accusing organisers of talking at them rather than listening. This tension was palpable both in the main hall and in social media posts from civil society groups. The Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) posted, "The poor & working class have long been denied a seat at the table, despite holding valid, urgent solutions. That is why we are here: to disrupt any drift towards a state- or NGO-centric process & to ensure grassroots voices are centred." Calls for Basic Income Support and an insistence on centering grassroots voices echoed throughout the proceedings.
Day two of the convention shifted focus to the practicalities of the dialogue’s rollout. Delegates discussed report-backs from thematic areas, the election of a steering committee, and the development of a roadmap for community-led dialogues. The intention, according to Black Sash, was to lay the groundwork for citizen-led discussions that would reach into every corner of the country. Yet, the shadow of the previous day’s walkouts and the ongoing absence of several legacy foundations loomed large.
In the midst of these challenges, some participants urged their peers to keep sight of the dialogue’s larger purpose. Steve Mashia of the Stalwarts Foundation’s Forum, representing the Moses Kotane Foundation, explained why his organization chose to remain involved despite the turbulence. "It doesn’t matter what happens, once the idea or the programme is bigger than the cause itself, we have to find a way to make it work. The challenges that were spoken about—they were mostly administrative. If you look at what the dialogue is meant to achieve, it is bigger than some of the smaller challenges," Mashia told SABC News. His comments reflected a broader sentiment among some delegates that the process, despite its flaws, represented a rare opportunity for collective reflection and action.
Voices from the floor also highlighted the need for inclusivity, especially for South Africa’s children. One delegate, speaking in the main hall at UNISA, stressed, "Child participation must be one of the key principles for this dialogue. They make up one third of our population. Their voices are nice to hear, it needs forums but often ignored and often neglected we fear if you do not center them in your tools, the tools that we are going to be sent out from here that they will be neglected and ignored." This call resonated with the event’s stated aim of fostering social cohesion and ensuring that all segments of society are heard in the search for solutions.
As the National Convention concluded, the organisers faced a daunting task: rebuilding trust, broadening participation, and demonstrating that the dialogue is more than a costly talk shop. With the promise of 13,000 meetings to come, the next phase will test whether the process can overcome its rocky start and deliver on the hope of a more inclusive, responsive South Africa.
