President Ramaphosa faces his busiest year yet, hosting critical events like the G20 Summit, the national dialogue, and the ANC National General Council.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to have the busiest time of his leadership so far this year as a he will play host to at least three different national and international events.
The more significant among the events is the G20 Summit in November, the national dialogue and the ANC’s national general council (NGC).
The G20 Summit is an international forum of developing and developed countries which seeks to find solutions to global economic and financial issues.
Ramaphosa’s busiest time
The gathering, the first on the African soil, is also where friends and enemies meet to discuss concerns of the world.
In the light of volatile geopolitical situation characterised by increasing regional wars and intensifying arms race among big powers, G20 became more vital as it is a platform for leaders from the global north and south to meet.
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Leaders from powerful nations are expected to attend, including US President-elect Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping.
But it’s unclear whether Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will be able to attend with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) warrant of arrest still hanging over his head.
The ICC issued the warrant, accusing Russia of violating international law with repatriation of children in the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war.
ICC warrant
But the ICC is yet to enforce its arrest warrant on Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Israel’s alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Ramaphosa will also host the national dialogue envisaged to involve various stakeholders including citizens, civil society organisations, trade unions, political parties, business and others to discuss socioeconomic matters, politics, the economy and the future of South Africa.
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Ramaphosa said the national dialogue’s main purpose was to create an inclusive and transparent process to shape a new sociopolitical consensus in the country.
He recalled South Africans’ past dialogue efforts such as the gatherings for adoption of the Women’s Charter in 1954, the Freedom Charter in 1955, the United Democratic Front launch on 20 August, 1983 and the multiparty Constitutional Assembly that adopted the 1996 democratic constitution.
Speaking at different events this year and last year, Ramaphosa and former president Thabo Mbeki said the planned dialogue was an opportunity for public participation as an expression of the struggle-era like people’s power.
Public participation
Mbeki, addressing the SA Communist Party special congress in December, said citizens must participate directly in the dialogue as they were left out in the pre-1994 multiparty talks.
On the other hand, Ramaphosa, speaking at the 113th ANC anniversary celebrations in Cape Town on Saturday, said the process would rekindle and restore public participation as an expression of people’s power.
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“The national dialogue offers a comprehensive platform for all citizens to be part of the political process and reclaim political agency,” he said.
The dialogue was initially proposed by Mbeki, who handed the organisation of the dialogue to the various foundations led by struggle stalwarts and the National Economic Development and Labour Council. The dialogue will take place this year.
At political party level, the ANC NGC will consider the party’s progress regarding the implementation of the last national conference resolutions.
Implementation of national conference resolutions
Ramaphosa may be going to the NGC confident that nobody will hold him to account for the Phala Phala saga, or even his leadership. Many of his opponents have since fallen by the wayside.
Chief among them were former president Jacob Zuma and former secretary-general Ace Magashule, who were expelled from the ANC.
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