NATIONAL Convention spokesperson Rev Zwoitwaho Nevhutalu has clarified that the widely discussed R700 million budget for the national dialogue was not a government allocation but a draft figure prepared by the preparatory task team.
The National Dialogue is scheduled to take place on August 15 to 16, 2025, in Pretoria.
Speaking at a media briefing at UNISA on Monday on the state of readiness to host the first Convention on National Dialogue, Nevhutalu stressed that the initiative is a “people’s project” and not solely a government undertaking.
The clarification comes after the estimated R700 million price tag ignited a wave of criticism from trade unions, political parties, academics, and sectors of civil society, especially in a context of austerity measures, service delivery failures, and deepening inequality.
“You see, the budget that people were talking about, the R700 million and so on, it was a budget prepared by the preparatory task team. It’s not a government budget,” Nevhutalu said.
He explained that the conceptual funding framework envisages 60% of costs being covered by the government through the fiscus, while the remaining 40% would come from donors in cash and in kind.
He noted that contributions would be sought from businesses, the private sector, and civil society, with organisations such as churches and municipalities providing infrastructure and venues. “Civil society has already done a lot,” he said.
Nevhutalu said most of the proposed funding would go towards community dialogues, which are planned to take place in every ward across the country.
“It is expected that we’re going to have three dialogues per ward for the duration. I think it comes to like 13,600 dialogues,” he said.
These sessions will focus on grassroots discussions about the future vision of South Africa.
He emphasised that the budget remains provisional, with Treasury still in discussions over the government’s contribution.
Entities will also be approached and mobilised by the steering committee and eminent persons groups to secure additional support, he said.
“This is a people’s project. It’s not something that is really a government project,” Nevhutalu said.
The National Dialogue, however has been rocked by the withdrawal of several prominent organisations, including the Steve Biko Foundation, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, WDB Foundation, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, and the Strategic Dialogue Group.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, the group said the decision was made with “deep regret,” but was necessary to protect the process’s credibility and integrity.
They accused the organisers of shifting the initiative away from its citizen-led origins toward government control.
“What began as a citizen-led initiative has unfortunately in practice shifted towards government control,” the statement read.
“In pushing forward for a Convention on August 15, at the will of government officials and against the advice of the Sub-Committee Chairs, we believe that a critical moment in which citizens should be leading will be undermined.”
The group raised concerns about a rushed timeline, inadequate logistics, and a lack of meaningful engagement.
They warned that the Convention, as currently planned, risked becoming more symbolic than substantive.
“The rushed timeline, constrained logistics, and limited interactive design mean that the proposed Convention no longer offers a meaningful platform for engagement,” they said. “It risks becoming more performance than participation.”
They also cited possible violations of the Public Finance Management Act due to “emergency procurement” processes and unresolved disagreements within the Planning and Technical Task Team (PTT).
While they have withdrawn from the August 15 event and related planning structures, the Foundations reaffirmed their commitment to the broader goals of the National Dialogue.
They proposed that the Convention be rescheduled for December 15, 2025, allowing for better preparation and ensuring participatory integrity.
“We cannot pursue that goal by cutting corners, centralising power, or rushing the process,” they said.
Image (Rev Zwoitwaho Nevhutalu, spokesperson for National Convention says R700m budget is justifiable).
