The thirty-year plan of action will be the road map that takes the country forward for the next three decades, and will address social, economic, governance and constitutional issues.

The committee briefed members of the media on the process leading up to the national dialogue, starting off with a national convention that will take place in two months' time. Last Year, Former President, Thabo Mbeki made a clarion call for the country to hold a national dialogue to redefine South Africa's future.

The committee, which comprises of the country's various foundations, are hard at work, engaging every sector of society in the build-up to the national dialogue, ensuring it is a citizen-led process, supported but not directed by government. Subcommittee Content Development National Dialogue Chairperson, Oyama Mabandla says the hope is for resolutions coming out of the national dialogue, to be binding.

“It is certainly our desire that it is, in fact, earlier engagements on this, you know, with government suggested that there was support for that. But there's been no conclusive agreement on that. Without me, because this will be a popular enterprise, it will be a popular participation, our people in all walks of life will proclaim and pronounce who is out of Africa, they want. That is what will inform the national compact and having pronounced who is out of Africa, we believe that they should fight for it. They should fight for that which they have proclaimed. So, to the extent that government, you know, does not want to honour the popular will, the people must demand it,” Mabandla said.

The committee outlined the process leading up to the national dialogue, with the first national convention expected to be held in July and attended by over 1000 delegates. Thereafter, district and sectorial dialogues will take place from September to December. Deputy Chairman of the Foundation Preparatory Committee, Lindiwe Gadd says the process of the district and sectoral dialogues will be vital.

“The dialogues will roll up from the bottom up into provincial reports and those provincial reports will then roll up into a national report. In March of 2026, we then come to the final convention, and the two outcomes that we anticipate from that final convention is a national compact and a 30-year plan of action, which we hope will be the road map that takes the country forward for the next 30 years, looking at social, economic, governance and constitutional issues," Gadd said.

--SABC--