President Cyril Ramaphosa's Reconciliation Day address in Vredendal, Western Cape, touched on everything from the GNU to the G20 to plans for an upcoming 'national dialogue'. Across it all, his central message appeared to remain the same - we're all in this together.
Listen to this article 6 min Listen to this article 6 min In a Reconciliation Day address that leaned heavily on themes of unity and inclusivity, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that a national dialogue would be held in South Africa in 2025 - a process that would allow people to "define the path" the nation takes as it moves forward.
The vision for the national dialogue includes an extensive public consultation process, led by an intersectoral steering committee made up of leaders from government, labour, business and communities, according to Ramaphosa.
"We would like to see the people of South Africa united in everything that they do, all of them, putting their views forward together... Through our various actions, we are reigniting our collective vision and shared passion to create a South Africa that works for all its people. We are confronting our challenges with the courage and determination displayed during the darkest day of the struggle against apartheid," he said.
"We will want the national dialogue to strengthen and consolidate the process of social compacting, where we come together as different sectors and communities to find common solutions, like we have always found in the past."
Ramaphosa first introduced...