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1 week ago
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Former minister Bathabile Dlamini says the National Dialogue is an opportunity for “reckoning, redirection and rebirth” for South Africa.
- Former minister Bathabile Dlamini says the National Dialogue is an opportunity for “reckoning, redirection and rebirth” for South Africa.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a national convention will take place on15 August, guided by eminent figures like Dr John Kani and Siya Kolisi, costing an estimated R700 million.
- Dlamini emphasised citizens’ participation in governance and highlighted societal challenges, such as broken family structures, as crucial issues to address.
ANC veteran and former minister Bathabile Dlamini has defended the National Dialogue, saying South Africans should not miss this opportunity for “reckoning, redirection and rebirth.”
“We must not forget that even after the apartheid state-sponsored violence, communities and organisations had to come together and build peace through dialogue processes,” she said.
Dlamini took to the ANC’s in-house newsletter, ANC Today, to express her support for the proposed National Dialogue.
News24 previously reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a national convention will take place on 15 August to pave the way for the National Dialogue.
He also announced a group of eminent persons, including world-renowned actor Dr John Kani and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, to guide the dialogue.
The Presidency was recently criticised for estimating that the dialogue would cost an estimated R700 million.
READ | Thuli Madonsela weighs in on the National Dialogue's ‘exorbitant’ cost
Dlamini said dialogues proved that citizens were always involved in governance matters.
“Our family structure has drastically changed, and we have many broken families, child-headed households, single-parent families, and nuclear families that have separated young families from the support structures of older members of the family who used to pass norms, culture, and practice ‘of the family to younger generations,” she added.
“The family structure that used to keep a strong bond is no longer there, or we have small remnants of the extended family. This is a discussion for another day.”
Dlamini said every citizen had a role to play in shaping the future of South Africa.
“Government is us, citizens, and we also have a role to play in building a united democratic, non-racial, non-sexual and prosperous country.”
