Pretoria: President Cyril Ramaphosa has encouraged South Africans to engage in discussions that reveal their concerns, hopes for the future, and how they envision a better tomorrow for themselves and the country. "This initiative [the National Convention] is about what all South Africans must do together to make our lives and country better," President Ramaphosa said on Friday.
According to South African Government News Agency, speaking at the first National Convention of the National Dialogue, currently underway at the University of South Africa (Unisa) in Pretoria, President Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of meeting in various community spaces, including homes, religious institutions, schools, and workplaces. He stressed that the struggle for freedom from apartheid demonstrated that unity in diversity is a transformative force.
The President asserted that no voice is too small and no perspective too inconvenient to be heard. He highlighted the challenges facing the country, such as economic hardship, unemployment, inequality, and a crisis of confidence in institutions, while also acknowledging the rapidly changing world and the need for adaptation.
President Ramaphosa emphasized the shared history and future of South Africans, noting their common past of division and the pride in overcoming apartheid to establish a constitutional democracy. He expressed confidence that by sharing concerns and fears, South Africans can collectively overcome them.
In her welcoming remarks, Unisa Vice Chancellor, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, described the National Convention as a turning point in South Africa's history. She noted that the process, leading to the National Dialogue, aims to reclaim peace in a country with a painful past.
Chair of the Convention Organising Committee, Boichoko Ditlhake, highlighted the significance of the National Convention in acknowledging the country's challenges. He stressed the importance of community engagement, aiming to involve more than 10 million South Africans in discussing various issues to find lasting solutions.
The two-day National Convention, with participation from stakeholders and representatives across society, seeks to outline and agree on key themes for the National Dialogue. The dialogue has been described by the Presidency as a call to action for citizens to lead an inclusive discourse on the nation's challenges.