'Do you need dialogue to see our roads are in shambles?': Mashaba slams national dialogue

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has slammed the government’s planned R700 million National Dialogue, calling it a waste of public funds and out of touch with the daily struggles faced by millions of South Africans.

Mashaba made the remarks on Monday in Alexandra, where his party launched its campaign for the 2026 local government elections.

“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,” Mashaba said. 

“Do you need a National Dialogue to know that the roads are in a bad state?”

The National Dialogue, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration, is billed as a nation-building initiative aimed at addressing South Africa’s persistent social and political divisions. 

The program includes a National Convention in August 2025 involving more than 1,000 delegates, followed by six to nine months of public engagement. 

An Eminent Persons Group will also be appointed to serve as ambassadors for the process, which is expected to produce a 30-year action plan focusing on jobs, inequality, education, health care, and land reform.

However, Mashaba said the dialogue is nothing more than a costly public relations exercise.

“Indications are that the so-called National Dialogue is already looking like a carefully choreographed process to fool South Africans yet again,” he said.

Mashaba also took aim at the government’s previous initiatives, including the annual investment conferences, which he described as media spectacles with little tangible return.

“All we have seen are media picture-perfect announcements of claimed investor pledges amounting to hundreds of billions of rands, with nothing pointing to such pledges leading to noticeable job creation,” he said. 

“No one seems to be asking how much has been spent on these conferences and what has been their return on public investment, other than fabulous media appearances for the president.”

He also slammed the Government of National Unity, saying it lacks cohesion and direction.

“The GNU includes different parties pulling in different directions. No new policies have been introduced to tackle economic stagnation,” Mashaba said.

Mashaba cited the latest employment data, saying nearly 300,000 people lost their jobs in the last quarter, with more than 8.2 million South Africans now unemployed and another 3.5 million who claimed to have given up looking for work.

“Expected economic growth has been revised down repeatedly, from 1.3% to 0.6%,” Mashaba said.

He warned that ActionSA will monitor the National Dialogue process closely.

“If it goes ahead, we will follow the money,” he said. 

“Every rand spent will be scrutinized. We will demand full transparency on how the funds are allocated, which service providers are appointed, and whether ordinary South Africans benefit - or whether this becomes another Trojan horse to benefit politically connected middlemen who add no value.”

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

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

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