African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has denied any “standoff” between President Cyril Ramaphosa and former President Thabo Mbeki regarding the upcoming National Dialogue.
This statement comes despite several major foundations and civil society groups pulling out of the event. Organizations that withdrew include the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, and political parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) like the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus.
Speaking at a media briefing, Mbalula insisted that Mbeki remains one of the key “architects” of the dialogue idea and that any perceived tension between the two leaders is unfounded. He explained that Mbeki’s vision has always been for the dialogue to be citizen-led, not driven by the ANC or any political party—a view the ANC says it supports.
The groups that withdrew raised concerns about the event’s rushed planning, a lack of transparency around its R740 million budget, and fears that it was becoming a government-controlled initiative rather than an independent forum. Opposition parties accused the ANC of using the dialogue as a political tool ahead of the 2026 local elections.
Mbalula expressed optimism that these issues could be resolved through mediation by an Eminent Persons Group (EPG). He stated that the concerns raised have been attended to and should continue to be engaged with.