South Africa: Mbeki Foundation Clashes With Presidency Over National Dialogue Amid Warnings of Financial Abuse

By John Matisonn

The foundation has listed the reasons it withdrew from the first National Dialogue Convention, and is backed by the FW de Klerk Foundation which has slammed the dialogue's 'ramshackle' organisation. The President's spokesperson responded by crying 'slander'.

Former president Thabo Mbeki's foundation has accused National Dialogue organisers, including staff in the Presidency, of risking abuse of government funds and speculated that their objective was to take over the dialogue and "collapse" it.

Foundation CEO Max Boqwana explained how relations between the foundation and the government broke down at a Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs event in Tshwane on 12 September.

Vincent Magwenya, the President's spokesperson, has vehemently denied Boqwana's allegations.

"That's absolute rubbish," he told Daily Maverick. "He has no evidence to prove any of his claims. This is nothing but slander. Max has no shred of evidence to substantiate his claims."

At the direction of Mbeki, who sat on the stage as he spoke, Boqwana said the foundation had earlier defended the organisers against accusations of likely financial abuse.

Boqwana then listed the reasons that the foundation withdrew from the first National Dialogue Convention on 15 August.

"I know how you comrades behave," Boqwana said...

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