‘Talks About Talks While Roads Collapse’: Mashaba Rips Into R700m National Dialogue

ActionSA leader questions logic of dialogue spending while South Africans face broken roads, rising joblessness, and daily hardship

In a no-holds-barred address from the heart of Alexandra township, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba tore into the government’s R700 million National Dialogue plan, saying South Africans don’t need a dialogue to tell them the country is falling apart.

“Do you need a National Dialogue to know the roads are in a bad state?” Mashaba asked, visibly frustrated, as he launched ActionSA’s 2026 local election campaign on Monday.

R700 Million for ‘Talks About Talks’

Mashaba was responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration’s announcement of a nationwide programme set to include over 1,000 delegates in a National Convention this August. The initiative is expected to produce a 30-year plan addressing jobs, inequality, land reform, education, and healthcare.

But for Mashaba, the entire effort smacks of political theatre.

“It’s really so sad when I hear our president announcing the spending of R700 million to hold talks about talks when roads are in shambles,” he said.

His remarks have ignited online debate, with many South Africans echoing his frustration.

On X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote:
“Fix our hospitals, fix our roads, fix Eskom. Then we can talk about national dialogues.”

Mashaba Calls It a ‘Carefully Choreographed’ PR Stunt

Mashaba didn’t stop at the dialogue. He took a broader swing at what he calls the government’s addiction to optics over outcomes, drawing parallels with Ramaphosa’s investment conferences.

“We’ve seen media picture-perfect announcements of claimed investor pledges amounting to hundreds of billions… Where are the jobs?” he asked.

The ANC government, he argues, has mastered the art of announcement, but lacks follow-through. “No one asks what the return on public investment has been, besides a few glossy photos of the president with CEOs.”

GNU Under Fire: ‘Pulling in Different Directions’

The ActionSA leader also lambasted the Government of National Unity (GNU), calling it fragmented and ineffective.

“They’re pulling in different directions. We’ve seen no new policies to tackle the economy,” he said.

He backed his claims with grim statistics: nearly 300,000 job losses in the last quarter, over 8.2 million unemployed, and 3.5 million more who’ve simply stopped looking for work.

“Expected economic growth has been revised down from 1.3% to 0.6%,” Mashaba warned, painting a dire picture of economic stagnation and failed governance.

ActionSA Promises to ‘Follow the Money’

Mashaba issued a stern warning: if the National Dialogue proceeds, ActionSA will keep tabs on every cent spent.

“Every rand spent will be scrutinised. Who gets the tenders? Who are the middlemen? Will the benefits reach ordinary South Africans, or just politically connected elites?” he asked.

He labelled the Dialogue a potential “Trojan horse” for politically connected contractors to line their pockets under the guise of social cohesion.

What’s at Stake?

The National Dialogue is, in theory, South Africa’s answer to deep-seated inequality and fragmentation. But critics like Mashaba argue it’s tone-deaf in a country where potholes go unfilled, youth unemployment remains sky-high, and municipal services crumble.

For Mashaba, it’s not a matter of being against dialogue, it’s about timing, priorities, and transparency.

“We refuse to stand by and let South Africans be fooled again,” he said.

In a country where basic services are failing, crime is rampant, and joblessness defines daily life for millions, the R700 million National Dialogue risks becoming the latest symbol of a government disconnected from reality. Mashaba’s fiery critique has struck a nerve, whether it drives reform or just fuels more political theatre remains to be seen.

{Source: IOL}

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