NATIONAL DIALOGUE ENTERS NEXT PHASE TOWARDS APPOINTMENT OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE

By Staff Reporter.

• The National Dialogue process has progressed to a critical milestone with the completion of nominations for the National Dialogue Steering Committee.
• The Eminent Persons Group (EPG) has begun quality assurance of the nominees before submitting final recommendations to President Cyril Ramaphosa for approval.
• Once constituted, the Steering Committee will coordinate public dialogues across the country to strengthen national unity and participatory governance.

The National Dialogue process has entered a pivotal phase following the completion of nominations for sectoral representatives to the National Dialogue Steering Committee.
The first National Convention, held on 15 and 16 August 2025, approved the Steering Committee’s mandate, responsibilities, and composition. Delegates agreed that each of the identified sectors would consult internally to nominate representatives to serve on the Committee and its sub-committees.
To date, 26 sectors have submitted their nominations. The list of nominated Steering Committee members has been handed over to the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) for quality assurance. The EPG will now review and finalise its recommendations for submission to the President in his capacity as Head of State and Convener of the National Dialogue.
Once approved by the President, the Steering Committee will begin coordinating the rollout of public dialogues across all provinces. It is anticipated that the appointment process will be finalised within the coming weeks.
President Ramaphosa has also received the Handover Report of the Convention Organising Committee (COC) and the Report on the National Convention, formally concluding the COC’s mandate. The Committee was tasked with organising the inaugural National Convention following the withdrawal of some foundations from the process.
In a statement, President Ramaphosa expressed gratitude to the COC, noting: “As a country, we owe a great debt of gratitude to the members of the Convention Organising Committee. Working with the Eminent Persons Group and the Inter-Ministerial Committee, the Committee ensured that hundreds of delegates from across the country gathered at the National Convention to endorse and launch the National Dialogue. Through a truly collective effort, the Convention proceeded smoothly and gave people from all sectors an opportunity to express themselves.”
He further acknowledged the contribution of legacy foundations and civil society organisations in the Preparatory Task Team, describing their efforts as instrumental in getting the National Dialogue off the ground.
“It is extremely important now that the momentum that has been built up and the expectations that have been raised are not allowed to dissipate. We need to ensure that as the Steering Committee is established, there is no disruption in the processes that need to happen,” he said.
The EPG, the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), and the Presidency remain custodians of the process and will continue to safeguard its credibility until it is formally handed over to the Steering Committee.
In addition, work is underway to establish a fully-fledged National Dialogue Secretariat, which will be housed at NEDLAC and will provide institutional and administrative support to the process.
The full Report of the National Convention is available for download at: https://tinyurl.com/4v7z7rfu.