Cyril's Plea to Mbeki

DAMAGE CONTROL: LEGACY FOUNDATIONS COURTED TO SALVAGE DIALOGUE

- Eric Mthobeli Naki

President Cyril Ramaphosa wants to engage with six civil foundations to persuade them to return to the unfolding National Dialogue process.

This is an apparent admission by Ramaphosa that he was wrong to go it alone in a dialogue about the future of the country, whose socioeconomic situation worsened under his rule to the extent the ANC lost its majority in last year's general election.

The President's Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) has written to the Steve Biko Foundation, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation, Desmond & Leah Tutu Foundation, FW de Klerk Foundation, Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation and the Strategic Dialogue Group.

All these organisations, except for the FW de Klerk Foundation, were founded by or in the name of anti-apartheid stalwarts, the majority of whom had since died.

Mbeki is the only living legend of the liberation struggle.