I have observed with interest that the so-called National Dialogue is the catch-all phrase these days.
And I ask myself: National Dialogue? What National Dialogue?
What is it that the much-mooted National Dialogue is going to achieve which could not be achieved by the existing structures of the government at national, provincial and local level?
Or is this National Dialogue going to make radical changes like pre-democracy CODESA negotiations which ushered in a new Constitutional dispensation in South Africa?
My worst fear, dear reader, is that this National Dialogue will turn out to be a big, expensive talk shop with millions of rand spent by the government with no tangible benefits for the needy in South Africa.
My opinion is that this dialogue must be a dialogue of the poor, by the poor, for the poor.
Rich men and women, business people, policy makers, Constitutional gurus, politicians, trade unionists, political analysts, tenderpreneurs, criminals, state capturers,experts and consultants, Afrikaaners concerned about so-called genocide, illegal and legal foreigners, present and former presidents, as well as NPOs must stay away from this dialogue.
Day-in-and-day-out we hear and see the above-mentioned groups of people expressing their views and opinions on various issues that are bedevilling South Africa yet nothing tangible has emerged from their lofty speeches to benefit the poor masses of this country.
These people have had their say and it is now time for them to shut up, sit in front of their TV screens and watch the poor people of this country speaking at various meetings which must be televised countrywide.
There must not be any tender to hire venues and provide catering for this event.
The poor will bring their own umbrellas, chairs and provision and speak about their plight and solutions thereto.
There won’t be any need for extensive travelling because the poor shall meet at venues that are close to their homes countrywide to ventilate their plight and TV cameras must cover all the meetings at those venues.
The majority of South Africans might be poor but they are certainly not stupid and have solutions to their plight and are hindered from resolving their plight by lack of political power and money.
The National Dialogue must not be a platform to address unfounded fears and concerns, political ambitions and grandstanding, it must be about eradicating poverty once and for all.
I rest my case!