National Dialogue in crisis: ActionSA latest to pull out?

702's Bongani Bingwa is joined by Athol Trollip, National Assembly Member and Action SA Parliamentary Leader.

Listen below:

Falling apart before it's even begun?

The National Dialogue planned for later this week is already on rocky ground.

The DA says it’s nothing more than an expensive 'talk shop' and is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to scrap it altogether. 

ActionSA’s Athol Trollip is also reconsidering his party’s participation, warning that South Africans don’t need more talk, but rather action, especially on the economy and job creation. 

But his party is not pulling out yet, and says if there are important talks to be had, it wants to be part of them.

ALSO READ: What now? Civil society casts doubt on Ramaphosa's National Dialogue

"If there are issues to be put on the table about the state of our country, we want to participate."

- Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Leader - ActionSA 

"But we don't want to legitimise a process that is becoming more and more illegitimate."

- Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Leader - ActionSA 

Much of the criticism levelled at the way the first leg of the National Dialogue has been handled has been around the extent of government involvement.

Trollip admits that this is one of ActionSA's concerns.

"We do not want to go through a process that is dominated by an overbearing ANC that has lost its majority and still wants to manipulate everything in the country."

- Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Leader - ActionSA 

ALSO READ: Legacy foundations that have pulled out of National Dialogue blame 'logistics'

In addition to the boycott by the DA, several prominent civil society organisations, many linked to the names of equally prominent struggle stalwarts, have also pulled out of the National Dialogue.

Trollip says this was a big alarm for ActionSA.

"They've said things like, they're not sure where the budget's coming from, when it's coming, how are procurement processes going to work; it's reminiscent of the Covid days."

- Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Leader - ActionSA

The biggest issue, says Trollip, is around the independence of the process.

"If it's dominated by the Presidency and the ANC, we have a fundamental problem with it."

- Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Leader - ActionSA

Trollip says the party will meet on Tuesday to discuss its future involvement in the National Dialogue.

Meanwhile, President Ramaphosa has confirmed that the first national convention is to go ahead next Thursday.

After the first national convention, the National Dialogue will continue through a series of nationwide public engagements.

Action SA, in or out of the National Dialogue? Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation from Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa.