Criticism from National Convention delegates important

JOHANNESBURG - With the first leg of the National Convention out of the way, attention is now set to shift to the next phase of the National Dialogue.

The two-day convention, which wrapped up on Saturday, brought together civil society, labour, business, faith groups and community organisations to map out how the dialogue will unfold over the next year.

The process is aimed at giving South Africans a say in tackling the country’s biggest challenges, including poverty, unemployment, crime and corruption.

The closing day saw some delegates calling the first National Convention a success, despite some hiccups and criticism that the venue was not accessible for people living with disabilities.

Youth leaders, activists and groups representing the blind all made their voices heard, pushing for greater representation and real inclusion in national decision-making.

Former member of Parliament, Lindiwe Mazibuko, now part of the Eminent Persons Group guiding the process, said that criticism from delegates was an important part of the journey.

"So their cynicism is valuable, it’s important, it’s feedback, and we must use it. But the process hasn’t begun yet."

With the steering committee expected to be appointed in the coming days, community-level engagements will roll out in all 4,000 wards across the country.

These will feed into a second National Convention, designed to consolidate South Africa’s path forward.