Zuko Komisa

- A group of influential South African foundations has pulled out of the National Dialogue.
- The organisations cited a loss of confidence, claiming the process has become government-controlled and lacks credibility.
- The withdrawal casts a shadow over the National Convention scheduled for August 15th.
A coalition of prominent South African legacy foundations has withdrawn from the planned National Dialogue, citing a lack of credibility and a shift towards government control.
The foundations, which include the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, the Steve Biko Foundation, and the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, announced their departure from the Preparatory Task Team and the inaugural National Convention scheduled for August 15th.
In a joint statement, the foundations explained their decision, stating:
“Core principles meant to underpin the whole National Dialogue have been violated in the rush to host a gathering on 15 August.”
They emphasised that their withdrawal was not due to a lack of commitment, but rather a principled stand.
“We remain committed to the belief that all aspects of the National Dialogue must be credible, principled, and anchored in public trust,” the statement read.
The group criticised what they see as a move away from the initiative’s original citizen-led mandate. They believe the government is now exerting undue influence over the process.
“What began as a citizen-led initiative has, unfortunately, in practice, shifted towards government control,” the statement continued.
The foundations specifically took issue with the decision to press ahead with the August 15th convention against the advice of sub-committee chairs. They argue that this haste sacrifices the integrity of the process for the sake of expediency. The foundations assert that this approach undermines a crucial opportunity for citizens to lead the conversation.
The organisations withdrawing are:
- Thabo Mbeki Foundation
- Steve Biko Foundation
- Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation
- Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation
- FW de Klerk Foundation
- Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation
- Strategic Dialogue Group
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