South Africa is embarking on a nationwide conversation aimed at confronting its most urgent challenges, as President Cyril Ramaphosa launches a “national dialogue” in Pretoria. The two-day opening convention, starting today, August 15, 2025, marks the start of what is billed as a people-driven process that will bring together political parties, civic organizations, religious leaders, cultural figures, and ordinary citizens.
The initiative comes after growing calls from civil society for a forum where South Africans can reflect on the country’s trajectory and craft a shared vision for its future. Ramaphosa, announcing the plan in June, declared, “The national dialogue must be a place where everyone has a voice. The dialogue will be a people-led, society-wide process to reflect on the state of our country in order for us to reimagine our future.”
More than three decades after the end of apartheid, South Africa still grapples with severe inequality, high crime rates, widespread corruption, and an unemployment rate topping 30%, one of the highest in the world. While the country made significant strides after its first democratic election in 1994, critics say progress has stalled over the past decade. Momentum for a national reckoning intensified after the African National Congress (ANC) lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 elections, leading to a coalition government.
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The dialogue will roll out in phases, with public discussions planned in all nine provinces, both in person and online. An Eminent Persons Group, featuring figures such as rugby captain Siya Kolisi, veteran actor John Kani, and former Constitutional Court judge Edwin Cameron, will guide the process.
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Yet the effort has met skepticism. The Democratic Alliance, the second-largest party in the governing coalition, has pulled out following a dispute over the dismissal of one of its deputy ministers, calling the talks a misuse of public funds. The MK Party, now the official opposition, has also refused to participate. Several major foundations have skipped the opening event, citing rushed preparation, though they say they may join later stages.
The estimated $40 million cost has been a flashpoint. Ramaphosa’s office disputes the figure but argues that a genuine nationwide consultation inevitably comes with a hefty price tag. Political analyst Dirk Kotze of the University of Pretoria agrees, noting in an AP report, “If you want to have a real nationwide process, then it is going to cost a lot of money. It’s not something that can be avoided.”
Some opponents suspect the ANC may use the dialogue to steer public opinion ahead of next year’s local elections, a charge analysts warn could undermine its credibility. As Kotze put it, “I think the message that comes through specifically for the ANC is that they should stand a little bit back and not try to control the process.”
