DA leader and agriculture minister John Steenhuisen remains on the interministerial committee of the National Dialogue of SA, despite his party withdrawing from the talks.
Chaired by deputy president Paul Mashatile, the committee is responsible for managing the dialogue. The first national convention of the dialogue is scheduled for August 15. It is expected to bring together about 1,000 delegates from business, labour, civil society and political parties to lay the groundwork for discussions on SA’s economic, social and governance ills.
The views, concerns and proposals raised will be coalesced at a second national convention, planned for next year, at which a new social compact is expected to be finalised.
Steenhuisen’s office confirmed he has been participating in the committee, which last met on Tuesday ahead of the national convention on August 15.
His party, the second-biggest partner in the government of national unity (GNU), withdrew from the national dialogue in June after President Cyril Ramaphosa fired the DA’s Andrew Whitfield as deputy minister of trade, industry & competition.
Steenhuisen on Monday said the country was in the intensive care unit and that Ramaphosa was presiding over a “national monologue”.
“No, we are not going at all [to the national dialogue],” he added.
Business Day previously reported that withdrawing from the interministerial committee could have triggered a confrontation with the president and jeopardised Steenhuisen’s position in the cabinet.
In a letter dated August 13, Mashatile instructed members of the executive to attend the national convention virtually, citing space constraints.
“Unfortunately, due to the size of the civil society delegation expected to be at the convention, I would request that you join the dialogue virtually,” the deputy president wrote.
“The conference organising committee will send a link in this regard. Members of the interministerial committee, ministers, deputy ministers and directors-general as well as the cabinet secretary will be catered for.”
In July, Mashatile told George Michalakis, the DA’s chief whip, that the interministerial committee had held its inaugural meeting on June 27, at which it discussed the concept note, proposed structures, and estimated budget for the national convention and the dialogue.
The National Treasury and other departments including the presidency, justice, employment and labour, and sport, arts & culture were instructed to review the budget and report back.
“The budget of the national convention and the national dialogue has not yet been finalised,” Mashatile said in his written response then.
His instructions come amid mounting tension over the national dialogue’s legitimacy and purpose. Besides the DA, the Freedom Front Plus — also a partner in the GNU — has withdrawn from the national dialogue.
ActionSA and other parties and organisations including AfriForum and Solidarity have also said they won’t participate in national convention on August 15. The MK party, the official opposition, and the EFF will not be participating either.
ActionSA chief whip Athol Trollip said in a statement the party would send senior MPs to the convention “on an observation brief”.
“ActionSA remains unconvinced that any of the concerns raised by key stakeholders, organisers and the broader public have been addressed,” Trollip said.
“There is an insistence on forging ahead despite serious, unresolved questions, particularly regarding the lawful appropriation of the budget, a matter on which no parliamentary committee has been duly engaged.”
Several legacy organisations — including the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, the Steve Biko Foundation, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation, and the FW de Klerk Foundation — withdrew last week, citing concerns that the process was state-led rather than citizen-led.
With Hajra Omarjee
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