By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has announced the date for the inaugural national dialogue under the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Mashatile convened the second meeting of the GNU clearing house mechanism set up to iron out policy disputes between parties.
The GNU was formed after the May 29 elections in which the African National Congress (ANC) lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in three decades. The GNU comprises the ANC, Democratic Alliance (DA), Patriotic Alliance (PA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), GOOD, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), Freedom Front Plus, United Democratic Movement (UDM), Al Jama-ah and Rise Mzansi.
The dialogue would ensure that the GNU is consolidated and that coalition partners would not “keep referring to their own manifestos but to refer to what the people of SA have said.
Mashatile said a special Cabinet meeting will be convened next week to discuss the national dialogue.
“So we felt the sooner the cabinet discusses the matter, the better. But the real dialogue is proposed for next year.You will hear when the proposal is presented,” said Mashatile.
“The first sitting of the national dialogue will be on the 16th of December,” he said.
However, divisions have emerged within the GNU over issues, such as the Bela Act and, more recently, South Africa’s position on Russia.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille was displeased with the announcement.
“We made it clear, from the start of the GNU negotiations, that the national dialogue must be a joint initiative, planned and executed by the key GNU governance partners.
“But here goes the ANC [African National Congress], unilaterally as usual, as if they won the election,” Zille said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
President Cyril Ramaphosa previously indicated that a national dialogue would be held to discuss the “critical challenges facing our nation, and to agree on what we all need to do to achieve a better future for this great country” following the formation of the GNU.
All political parties, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, the faith-based community, labour, business, cultural workers, and other groups will be invited to attend and actively participate in the dialogue.