National Dialogue Convention set to proceed amid concerns over costs

THE first convention of the National Dialogue is expected to go ahead on Friday despite growing concerns about the cost of the gathering.

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

Intended to launch an extensive public dialogue process aimed at addressing the pressing socioeconomic issues faced by citizens, the Convention is not without its detractors.

While the National Convention Organising Committee remains optimistic, critics have voiced significant concerns over the financial implications and the efficacy of such discussions amidst a backdrop of unfulfilled promises from previous government initiatives.

Political analyst Siyabonga Ntombela from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) said that South Africa was not a nation in the true sense and meaning of the word. “We are not even united in our diversity, plus we do not even have a unique identity that unifies us. Instead, we use race and classism to further divide us. Major corruption under a black government has made this cleavage even worse,” Ntombela said.

“Therefore, there is nothing new and unknown that will come out of this National Dialogue. People have spoken loud and clear as to what the government ought to do to create a prosperous South Africa. it will have a huge fiscal impact but nothing meaningful or transformational”