Thabo Mbeki Foundation weighs return to National Dialogue amid budget concerns
Former president Thabo Mbeki declined an invitation to attend the first convention of the National Dialogue that was held in Pretoria at the weekend.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
The Thabo Mbeki Foundation (TMF) is considering a return to the National Dialogue process after receiving an olive branch from the Eminent Persons Group (EPG).
This comes on the heels of the TMF and other legacy foundations withdrawing from the First National Convention just two weeks ago, citing concerns about the preparation and overall process.
Controversy surrounded the National Dialogue held at Unisa last Friday and Saturday, particularly concerning its alleged R700 million budget.
This led to the refusal of several political parties, including the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, the EFF, and the DA, to participate.
TMF spokesperson Bongani Kupe on Wednesday confirmed that all of the legacy foundations had received the letter and were considering it.
“We have always said that we are open to further discussions. In the letter that we wrote to the EPG, we mentioned that we just had a few concerns, including rushing the process,” Kupe said.
Other foundations refused to comment on the matter for now.
In a bid to restore trust, the EPG, a group of 32 independent volunteers appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to support and guide the National Dialogue, formally requested a meeting with the legacy foundations in a letter addressed to the Steve Biko Foundation, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, FW de Klerk Foundation, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, and the Strategic Dialogue Group.
The letter acknowledges the concerns raised by the foundations and expresses a desire to work together to ensure a successful and inclusive National Dialogue.
“We acknowledge the depth and seriousness of the concerns raised by the foundations,” it read.
These concerns included the preservation of citizen leadership, the need for a genuinely meaningful engagement platform, transparent financial and governance arrangements, and the importance of adequate preparation over rigid timelines.
The EPG stressed that these were not “peripheral matters” but “central to the credibility and success of the National Dialogue”.
The TMF’s chairperson, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, reiterated on Monday that the foundation's initial withdrawal was due to a perceived lack of preparation for the National Convention.
Fraser-Moleketi also noted that 11 reports on various topics were still being prepared when the convention date was set by a group outside the preparatory task team.
“The amount of work you put into the process, the pre-dialogue, results in the quality of the outcome, and especially dealing with the complexities we currently confront in South Africa,” she said.
Cape Argus