Pretoria: The long-awaited National Convention, which paves the way for the National Dialogue, has kicked off this morning at the University of South Africa (Unisa) in Pretoria. The two-day event brings together stakeholders and representatives from various sectors to outline and agree on key themes for the upcoming National Dialogue.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Presidency has described the National Dialogue as a call to action for citizens to lead an inclusive conversation on the challenges facing the country. The Convention is intended to agree on the approach and modalities for the nationwide public dialogues at both sectoral and community levels. Additionally, it aims to establish a Steering Committee and finalize the key themes for discussion in the National Dialogue.
The Convention gathers representatives from government, political parties, civil society, business, labor, traditional leaders, religious figures, cultural workers, sports organizations, women, youth, and community voices. These diverse groups aim to chart a way forward for the commencement of the National Dialogue.
In preparation for this first National Convention, President Cyril Ramaphosa met with representatives of the interim Preparatory Task Team (PTT) on 7 August 2025. The task team has been responsible for organizing the convention and preparing for the public dialogues that will follow.
Since April 2025, the Preparatory Task Team has been working towards the first National Convention. It was established as an interim structure pending the formation of a broadly inclusive Steering Committee representing all sectors. This team comprises members of the foundations of struggle stalwarts and representatives of the President.