Key Points

"The National Dialogue is an opportunity to mobilise South Africans to address these challenges and restore our country to the path of transformation, development, and progress," Ramaphosa said.

Speaking on Friday in Pretoria, the country's administrative capital, during his first meeting with members of the National Dialogue Eminent Persons Group at the Union Building, the president acknowledged the progress South Africa has made over the past three decades, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, he noted that challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and severe inequality persist. "Inequality, poverty, unemployment, violence, and social discord continue to affect the lives of millions of South Africans and hinder the country's progress," said Ramaphosa. He also pointed to stagnant economic growth, which has negatively impacted job creation.

In addition, the South African president expressed concern over the low voter turnout in last year's general election, as it reflected "an increasing disengagement by many people from the democratic process."

He also highlighted issues of poor service delivery. "We have seen a deterioration in governance, a decline in the delivery of services, and widespread corruption and wastage of public resources," he added.

The South African Presidency launched the National Dialogue in June as an inclusive, participatory process aimed at uniting citizens across all sectors to address the country's key challenges.

Ramaphosa is expected to call a National Convention on August 15 to set the agenda for the National Dialogue.

- IANS