Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
24 June 2025 | 12:55 CAT

Ramaphosa’s R700m National Summit draws fire for excluding experts and sidelining accountability, critics say South Africa needs action, not another talking shop. 📸 YouTube

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s upcoming National Dialogue , set for August is under fire for its estimated R700 million budget, unclear objectives, and exclusion of qualified experts and civic voices.

Marketed as a platform to address the country’s mounting challenges, from unemployment and crime to service delivery, the initiative has instead triggered fierce criticism over its structure, timing, and composition.

“This is not just poor planning,  it’s a political manoeuvre dressed as democratic engagement,” said political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu in an interview on Radio Islam International. “Ramaphosa is attempting to create the appearance of broad consultation while bypassing real accountability structures.”

Ndlovu questioned the logic of hosting a national summit at this cost when existing legislative and oversight bodies are underutilised. “We already have Parliament; we already have chapter nine institutions like the Public Protector and Auditor-General. Why are we building parallel platforms using taxpayers’ money?”

Concerns have intensified over who has been invited. The 31-member guest list includes sports figures, celebrities, and influencers, yet not a single working economist, constitutional lawyer, infrastructure expert, or investigative journalist.

“Where are the people who understand macroeconomic policy? Where are the urban planners, labour analysts, and environmental specialists?” Ndlovu asked. “This country is in crisis, and we’re being told Miss South Africa and a rugby player will help fix it?”

He also pointed to the absence of major civic organizations. “The exclusion of institutions like the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Foundation signals one of two things, either intentional gatekeeping or a failure to respect independent civil society,” he said.

For Ndlovu, the dialogue raises broader systemic questions. “We need to rethink who gets elected in South Africa, and how we hold them to account. Currently, voters have almost no say over who ends up in Parliament. We vote for parties, and parties fill the seats.”

He argued that this party-centric system creates a leadership culture with limited accountability. “Politicians know they’re not being evaluated on delivery. There are no performance consequences. That’s why these symbolic summits are prioritised over real reform.”

Ndlovu believes the dialogue serves a deeper ANC strategy in the wake of its declining national support. “This is about reclaiming ideological control through soft power. The ANC no longer holds a majority, but by orchestrating this summit, they can frame consensus around their policies.”

“The goal is not solutions, the goal is legitimacy,” he concluded.

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Political Ananlyst Zakhele Ndlovu.