Whose dialogue is it anyway?

The National Dialogue has not even begun and has already become irrevocably politically tainted — exactly the thing it was not supposed to be.

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Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen declared three weeks ago that his party would be withdrawing from the process after its deputy minister Andrew Whitfield was sacked while ANC corruption-accused ministers remained in their jobs. Those of an ANC inclination have flipped the allegation and said the DA is using the occasion for political point scoring.

Former president Thabo Mbeki added his voice to the mêlée in an open letter to Steenhuisen. He subtly reminded everyone that it was he who first put forward the idea of a dialogue early last year.