Time to press pause on politics review what went wrong

South Africa is in a political crisis after no party won an outright majority in last month’s general election and this necessitates deep reflection on the future direction of the country, says Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, chair of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation.

“For the first time in 30 years the electorate has decided not to give any political party a majority vote,” she said.

“This presents an opportunity for citizens, communities, to review the past years and focus on what has gone wrong.

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“The result produced by the 2024 election calls upon all of us to reflect on the South Africa we want for the future and our children,” she added.

Unity and the future

During a briefing at Sanctuary Mandela, the Thabo Mbeki and Ahmed Kathrada foundations, the Robert Sobukwe Trust and a other organisations called for a national dialogue aimed at uniting the country and to reflect on its future.

The national dialogue would be to develop a common vision “to intervene to bolster our substantive democracy, recalibrate our developmental trajectory and reorientate our nation towards the attainment of our deferred dream, as we look forward to the next 30 years and beyond”.

“This is an ominous sign that the faith of citizens in electoral democracy has declined since its birth in 1994,” the grouping said. “Of concern is the prospect that this voting trend may well be a symptom of declining faith in the very idea of democracy and a country united in our diversity.”

Lukhona Mnguni, executive director at the Rivonia Circle, emphasised the critical need for a continuous national dialogue in SA.

“In a country at transition, dialogue has always been important and a continuous national dialogue is critical to engage and outline the national agenda.”

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He suggested the dialogue could have a positive impact and spoke about its potential to hold space for diverse voices.

“It could genuinely be an open, inviting space for different groupings to come together and not everything is left to politicians to discuss and deliberate,” he said.

“However, there must be genuineness in how we characterise the issues and the moment we are in. The dialogue itself has long been overdue, respective of the political outcome,” he added.

Neeshan Balton from the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said there was collective work which South Africans needed to do to get the country functioning. He said a national dialogue would tap into the energy which already existed and lead to action.

“Almost in every street in our country, people are concerned about what’s happening,” he said. “The dialogue will get to focus on the issues in the country and find solutions that reside in the wisdom of South Africans collectively.”

UDM happy with dialogue

Bantu Holomisa, president of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), said he was satisfied with the intention to host a national dialogue.

He said this was an action the UDM had been advocating for years, akin to an economic convention for a democratic South Africa.

“At the top of the agenda should be the country’s economy, with land and property at the apex of that debate, as well as the role of the state in the economy,” he said.

“National security and national interest in foreign policy are other burning issues that need our attention.

“Amongst other matters which should be high on the agenda: the country has just spent over R1 billion on the Zondo Commission and should spend some time talking about how we capture the lost ground where corruption is concerned.”