‘Fix South Africa, Not the ANC’: Maimane Slams 2025 National Dialogue Plans

A conversation for the people or a political spin tool? Fears rise over the ANC’s grip on SA’s long-awaited National Dialogue

The idea of a National Dialogue, a countrywide conversation on South Africa’s future, sounds noble on paper. But with election losses looming over the ANC, questions are swirling around who it truly serves. Is this the healing South Africa needs, or just another stage-managed distraction?

Former DA leader and now Build One South Africa (Bosa) founder, Mmusi Maimane, isn’t pulling punches. Speaking to The Citizen, he warned that the planned National Dialogue could be “hijacked by the ANC” to repair its own image rather than the country’s broken systems.

Too Late or Right on Time?

National Dialogues usually follow massive national traumas, war, civil unrest, or pandemics. South Africa, Maimane says, missed the boat after Covid-19.

“Now what is needed is efficacy in governance,” he argued, adding that our true crisis is not the ANC’s falling poll numbers, but the worsening economic crisis, record unemployment, and decaying institutions.

He wants the dialogue to build on the National Development Plan (NDP), not reboot it from a party-political perspective.

“If we don’t present an alternative vision, this entire process becomes yet another ANC echo chamber,” he warned.

Maimane proposed a pre-dialogue among opposition parties, aimed at realigning South Africa’s political future, and ensuring the outcomes aren’t dictated by the ruling party alone.

R700 Million and No Details Yet?

Adding fuel to the fire is public concern over an alleged R700 million budget, a staggering figure that remains unconfirmed. Government spokesperson Vince Magwenya said the state is “still finalising the details” and that the Eminent Persons Group would soon meet President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Social media isn’t buying the vagueness.

“They’re spending millions to talk about why they’ve failed? We’ve been ‘dialoguing’ since CODESA,” one X user posted.

Others have called for transparency in the process and a clear breakdown of how the money , if that budget is real, will be spent.

A Broken Family or a New Beginning?

But the idea behind the Dialogue still resonates with some.

Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, president of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), urged citizens to take ownership of the process, saying it’s time for South Africans to confront each other with honesty — and hope.

“We are a wrangling family,” he said, describing a country deeply fractured not just by race or politics, but by a lack of emotional reconciliation.

Sipuka called for South Africans to speak their truths “without weaponising them” — and to bring their frustrations to the table without letting them become curses.

Truth-Telling in a Nation on Edge

Sipuka’s statement rings true in a time of division: some South Africans are angry about land reform and economic injustice, while others rage against corruption, state failure, and collapsing infrastructure.

“Where is the accountability for services that fail the very same people they were meant to serve?” Sipuka asked.

This echoes a growing public sentiment , that any real “dialogue” must go beyond speeches and soundbites. South Africans want answers, action, and a renewed social contract.

Why This Dialogue Matters

Whether it turns out to be a genuine national reckoning or just another state-sponsored summit, the 2025 National Dialogue is shaping up to be a defining moment.

If it belongs to the people not the party it could offer real solutions to decades of inequality, dysfunction, and mistrust.

But if it’s seen as a PR exercise, the ANC may face even more backlash than it did at the ballot box.

For now, the public’s role is clear: show up, speak up, and demand more than just dialogue, demand change.

{Source: The Citizen}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com