Mbeki, De Klerk, Motlanthe Dialogue Initiative to be taken around the country

THE National Dialogue Initiative, launched by former presidents Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe and FW de Klerk, will be taken countrywide, with provincial dialogues and regional discussions expected to take place soon.

Organisers from nine prom- inent foundations said the discussions should be more than just about high-profile individuals, but should include ordinary South Africans.

The initiative was launched yesterday in Joburg, with a number of well-known public officials in attendance; including IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Mamphela Ramph- ele and Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe.

The event could be described as unprecedented, especially with the number of influential individuals who have backed it.

The former presidents said the dialogue was long overdue, especially within the past three years where there has been a growing sense of dissatis- faction with President Jacob Zuma’s administration.

Zuma has been facing growing pressure for him to resign from opposition parties and civil society alike, with a number of protest actions and campaigns held last month.

Zuma shocked many when he reshuffled his cabinet last month, firing finance minster Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas.

This dialogue has added to the mounting pressure on Zuma’s presidency.

All three former presidents touched on issues that have shaped the past couple years in the political sphere – such as corruption, the state capture issue and the Constitu- tional Court’s judgment on the R246 million spent on Zuma’s Nkandla homestead.

Mbeki said the Nkandla judgment was a critical example to refer to when assessing the powers of the president. He was also worried about the numerous government issues that have ended up in the courts.

Motlanthe said that at the heart of the country’s crisis was a lack of accountability to the citizens by elected officials.

Although many referred to the issues that have gripped the country, organisers were at pains to explain that the dialogue was not an “anti-Zuma” campaign, but about the country’s future.

The event was not without controversy, as a few EFF members stormed the event carrying placards saying “FW de Klerk is a killer”.

They had issues with De Kerk addressing the gathering as they did not recognise him as a democratically- elected official, but as a former-apartheid leader.