Ahead of the first National Convention, planned for August 15, as a precursor to the National Dialogue, the Solidarity Movement said it will submit a position paper on the country’s pressing issues, and initially only send an observer before deciding on its participation in the process.

The movement believes “community dialogues” are more beneficial than a State dialogue, arguing that discussions between communities produce more practical results.

“The Solidarity Movement believes that national discussions to find solutions to the country’s pressing crises are essential, but it seems as if the National Dialogue will only result in even more useless discussions instead of action,” it said.

The Solidarity Movement claimed that the African National Congress's (ANC's) backing of the dialogue, appeared to be a ploy to win back lost electoral support.

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa explained that in the wake of government’s engagements with various entities, there was broad agreement on the need to convene a National Dialogue, given the challenges facing the country.

He announced a National Convention, which will set the agenda for the National Dialogue.

“At present, the ANC is very vocal about the necessity to participate in the National Dialogue, but over the past number of decades it has not been willing to hold discussions with other stakeholders in good faith and to listen to their proposals. The experience is that the ANC would rather conduct an ANC monologue than participate in national dialogues,” Solidarity stated.

The Solidarity Movement alleged that the ANC had used previous such forums to “sell its policies, rather than forums where they could listen to proposals on how to adjust their unworkable policies”.

The movement noted that the ANC had not yet given any indication that it would reconsider failed policies.

“…the best indications are that since the formation of the Government of National Unity, it has continued to act as if it were ruling alone, and that it would rather make the country the target of US sanctions than make policy adjustments in the national interest,” it said.

Solidarity said it would take a wait-and-see approach to the National Dialogue.

“...we are too busy with work to try to address the consequences of failed ANC policies, and we do not have the time to listen for weeks and months on end to their outmoded blame politics and a repetition of unimaginative ideas,” it said.

Meanwhile, ActionSA has called for the proposed National Dialogue to be halted, while the Labour Party of South Africa has been to court, trying to interdict National Dialogue process, arguing that it is “unconstitutional, irrational, fiscally irresponsible", and excludes the working class.