National Convention — never expect rambunctious South Africans to behave as you’d like at your gathering

If you didn’t know about it before the National Convention, which enjoyed a noisy launch last weekend, you know it now.

South Africa really is a large, fractious family in which each member is ready to speak their mind, loudly and uncompromisingly, at every single gathering. No polite murmuring and tinkling of cutlery on crockery. That is not who we are.

We know that, even before all the place settings have been planned, someone is going to pull out, someone will complain about the food, some auntie will speak the truth about some unspoken feud and an uncle will get tipsy and need a little lie-down.

It is not as if we are not used to what has become known as “family gatherings” – those press conferences, expected and unexpected, that President Cyril Ramaphosa calls every now and again.

Former president Jacob Zuma would usually wait for us all to be tucked up in bed past midnight when he made some startling family announcements, like the firing of ministers or the sudden discovery of an “intelligence” report.

In a way, the National Assembly too is a family gathering. Who doesn’t remember those nights eating popcorn with the kids as we sat watching the EFF head-butting parliamentary oversight while flip-flopping on issues?

Hit me up

Shortly after the recent “bombshell” press conference at which Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi fingered just about everyone in the South African Police Service and the government as being a covert mafia link, Ramaphosa tried to mop up a bit.

He called a family gathering.

And, of course, it was not long before a sterling example of how South Africans live out our familial and familiar connections with those who lead us and shape our lives was brought to the table.

Cupcake had hardly begun the live stream, reassuring the country that Mkhwanazi’s revelations were merely revelations (a bit like the Bible chapter everyone hopes does not come to pass, but which serves as a warning) when a South African named Esrar Ramjan took a quick gap on the thread on X.

“Looking for a towbar for a 2020 corolla,” he posted as Ramaphosa was speaking.

Now, did Ramjan phone around earlier in the day, asking about the towbar? Perhaps this model of towbar is rare and difficult to find, who knows?

One can almost hear that auntie in the lounge who called out: “Esrar, why not ask tonight at the family meeting?” We hope he found a towbar.

After the press conference some of us asked: “What was that?” Others replied: “Nothing to worry about – we will set up a commission of inquiry.”

Same as it ever was

Even before the National Convention initiated by Ramaphosa kicked off at Unisa in Pretoria, various foundations had announced they were pulling out.

This convention was, bear in mind, a meeting about meetings within meetings. Talks about talks about talks about talks. A very South African tradition.

The foundations pulled out, complaining about the short timeline, whereas others asked about the costs and value for money.

The initiative entered its second phase last week, with rounds of community and sectoral engagements taking place nationwide. These are led by the freshly baked Eminent Persons Group, which includes Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, Bishop Engenas Lekganyane, former Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi.

The group will be hearing from civil society (strong and vocal in South Africa), young people (unemployed and vocal), religious leaders (employed and vocal) and rural communities (self-employed and vocal).

As colleague Yeshiel Panchia, who attended the gathering at Unisa, so eloquently noted: “Despite all the parties that pulled out of the event, attendance was strong, as the plethora of VIP vehicles and overrun parking showed. Unisa’s ZK Matthews Great Hall was packed during the opening proceedings.

Read more: National Convention is an echo chamber, big on talk, with no sign of action

“Not yet five minutes into the introductory speech by the programme director – as she uttered ‘the daily rehearsal of democracy that once bound our communities together…’ – proceedings were interrupted by the collapse of an attendee, who required medical intervention.”

And now?

Daily Maverick opinionista Professor Balthazar highlights a “core question” that the process needs to answer urgently: “How will a dialogue reverse the failure to deliver basic goods and services to those most in need? In short, how will the more than R500-million to be spent on this project ensure that the National Dialogue will transport us into a place that we have never been since the first few promising years of democracy dawned after 1994?”

Read more: The National Dialogue at least has us debating whether a debate is needed

There has also been a failure to hold those implicated in corruption and the theft of national resources accountable, the professor notes.

Now, above and below the noise, think of this: theoretically, each and every South African alive right now is free. Free to speak our minds, our languages, our grievances and our expectations.

We dare to confront our leaders in public (try that in Zimbabwe, the US or Russia) and we dare to hold them accountable. We expect that they will be held accountable. So much so, we voted in a Government of National Unity, or whatever we call it. It is a wild wildebeest we should appreciate more. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.