National Dialogue cost cut to just over R485m, claims BOSA's Maimane

JOHANNESBURG - It has emerged that the cost for the National Dialogue has been cut to just over R485 million.

Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane said that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana confirmed the revised figure in a written response to him.

Public outcry erupted two months ago when the dialogue’s preparatory task team disclosed that the initiative would cost more than R700 million.

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During a media briefing on Thursday, Maimane shared email exchanges between himself and the minister, detailing the dialogue’s revised budget.

While the establishment of a National Dialogue was welcomed by many, concerns mounted over the revelation that it would cost more than R700 million.

Addressing the first National Convention ast week, President Cyril Ramaphosa assured South Africans that the cost would be significantly reduced.

"I shall not allow the taxpayer’s money that amounts to R740 million to be utilised. We can have this dialogue much cheaper. Much lower must be the order of the day."

However, Maimane revealed that the finance minister confirmed the revised budget figure to him directly.

"Minister Godongwana wrote to me quite effectively about how much the National Dialogue is going to cost. In essence, he commits that, coming out of the contingency fund, South Africa will spend an estimated R485 million to be spent on the national dialogue. This is not a small amount of money. It is technically half a billion rand."

Eyewitness News reached out to National Treasury to verify the minister’s email to Maimane, but the inquiry has not yet received a response.