Dialogue has saved our country before, and can do so again

The recent call by former president Thabo Mbeki for a national dialogue to address the crises besetting the nation could not have come at a more opportune time. There is common agreement among a broad spectrum of South Africans that, while South Africa is in many ways a better, freer and more caring place than it was before 1994, new problems have arisen over the past three decades, some of them becoming progressively worse.

Among these is the crisis of service delivery, brought about by the state’s diminished ability to provide a range of services, from reliable electricity and essential infrastructure maintenance to potable water. The lack of economic growth, accompanied by a worryingly high unemployment rate, poses a threat not only to development, but also to social stability and order. Every South African today feels threatened by the country’s intolerable crime levels.

More broadly, it is apparent that the post-1994 national arrangement has come under increasing strain, affecting social cohesion and jeopardising the nation-building project. Some are beginning to criticise the constitution itself, and racially separatist sentiments are even re-emerging. As much as our diversity is our strength, it can also be the nation’s Achilles heel if it is not wisely handled.

Mbeki’s “new and truly inclusive” dialogue would involve not just political parties, but civil society, business and labour. According to the former president, the agenda would be “to do a seismic reflection” of the current state of the country, as well as to ask questions about its future. The call for a gathering of minds to try to find solutions to the country’s problems is not new, having been made before by various stakeholders, including politicians and business leaders.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has also come out in support of the call, which will obviously be met with scepticism in some quarters. But we believe most South Africans would welcome any effort to establish a commonality of purpose to prevent our further slide into decay and regression. Such a dialogue should be as representative as possible, to enable the articulation of a wide variety of views — even those we might not always agree with.

Currently, attention is understandably focused on political campaigning ahead of the elections. The polls are, indeed, an important part of our political life, as well as a constitutional imperative. They will yield leadership with a fresh electoral mandate. They won’t, however, in and of themselves solve our deep and many problems. The country will be best served if all the leadership experience and talent we have is marshalled to create a platform for conversations that seek solutions that benefit the country and its people as a whole, rather than sectoral, factional or even racial interests.

At a point where we celebrate our democracy’s 30th anniversary, this may be an appropriate time to take stock of the journey we have travelled, to address new and outstanding matters, and to carve out a new, more prosperous path forward. Mbeki has indicated that work is under way to prepare for the dialogue later this year. No doubt, much effort will be required to secure the buy-in of various stakeholders. Also, the actual agenda is yet to be crafted and the logistics finalised. But this is an initiative that deserves the support of all South Africans and is probably our best chance so far to pull ourselves out of the national morass we find ourselves in.

The alternative to dialogue is to stand by and witness the reversal of our economic fortunes and our sinking deeper into social conflict — a situation where all South Africans will be the losers. There can be no risk in South Africans engaging with each other about the issues facing the country and seeking solutions. And, as history has shown us, social and political conflicts are best resolved through negotiation and discussion, rather than violence. Indeed, as the famous saying goes, jaw-jaw is always better than war-war.

But we believe most South Africans would welcome any effort to establish a commonality of purpose to prevent our further slide into decay and regression.