The national dialogue process is entering a critical phase as the nomination of sectoral representatives to the long-awaited national dialogue steering committee has been completed.
According to the Presidency, 26 sectors have submitted nominees, marking a major step towards establishing the committee that will drive the next phase of public consultations.
The list of nominees has been handed to the eminent persons group (EPG) for quality assurance. The EPG will submit its recommendations to President Cyril Ramaphosa for final approval in his capacity as head of state and convener of the national dialogue.
Once approved, the steering committee will oversee the rollout of nationwide public dialogues, a process aimed at shaping the country’s collective response to social, political and economic challenges. The Presidency said the appointments are expected to be finalised “in the coming weeks.”
Ramaphosa confirmed he has received the handover report from the convention organising committee (COC), which officially concluded its mandate.
The COC had been tasked with organising the first national convention in August after the withdrawal of some foundations and parties from the process.
In a statement, Ramaphosa expressed gratitude to those who helped ensure the success of the inaugural convention.
“As a country, we owe a great debt of gratitude to the members of the COC. Through a truly collective effort, the national convention proceeded smoothly and gave people from all sectors an opportunity to express themselves,” he said.
Ramaphosa acknowledged the role of legacy foundations and civil society organisations that helped initiate the dialogue.
“It is extremely important that the momentum that has been built up and the expectations that have been raised are not allowed to dissipate.”
The Presidency said the EPG, inter-ministerial committee and the Presidency will continue to safeguard the integrity of the process until the steering committee takes over.
Plans are also under way to establish a fully-fledged national dialogue secretariat at Nedlac to provide institutional support to the dialogue process.
TimesLIVE
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