By REGINALD KANYANE
9 July 2025- The South African Union Council of Independent Churches (SAUCIC) has expressed concern regarding the withdrawal of the Democratic Alliance (DA) from the upcoming National Dialogue declaring it as irrational, myopic, unpatriotic and a sign of immaturity. SAUCIC said that any Government of National Unity (GNU) partner that is working against the social compact initiative undermines the will of the people and their support for national unity, consensus building and cooperation.
SAUCIC President Cardinal Archbishop Dr Modiri Patrick Shole said the DA’s tendency to throw tantrums and issue misguided ultimatums to President Cyril Ramaphosa depict a party that is in crisis as well as rudderless. Shole said it seeks to put itself above the country’s national interests, while inadvertently jeopardising the stability of the economy necessary for faster economic growth, job creation and attracting investors.
“Fortunately, the markets are no longer responding to their empty threats nor taking them seriously. The need to reset the national agenda, reposition the country for renewal and adopt a national plan that will take South Africa on a new development trajectory is non-negotiable.
“The forward march towards creating a non-racial, non-sexist, united, democratic, peaceful and prosperous society envisioned by the Freedom Charter cannot be held to ransom by the usual theatrics associated with the DA and those opposed to equality, social justice, redress of past imbalances and radical socio-economic transformation,” he emphasised.
Shole further stressed that the national dialogue is about redefining the South Africa that all its people want and mobilising the broad spectrum of society, i.e. faith based communities, traditional leaders, women ,youth, business, the academia, trade unions, NGO’s as well as civil society organisations including government and all political parties behind a new vision. He added that, it is about all of them leaving their cocoons, laagers and overcoming prejudices to engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve current challenges facing South Africa.
“Neither self-respecting as well as right-thinking individuals nor grouping would refuse to be part of the journey to reaffirm our common identity, shared values as well adopt a new National Development Plan that will unlock economic opportunities for shared growth and prosperity for all.
“The DA and other reactionary formations must be reminded that the dialogue will not be about establishing hegemony, self-preservation or perpetuating lies about the imagined white genocide, but finding one another for peaceful and harmonious co-existence,” underscored Shole.
He urged all churches, fraternal including people of faith to reclaim their prophetic voice, stand in the gap and pray for the reconciliation as well as unity that have eluded us thus far. Shole further asserted that a new united society with a new mindset must be birthed and emerge, i.e. if South Africa is to overcome the myriad of challenges it is currently facing that including among others the impact of geopolitics on the economy, the crisis of rising youth unemployment, illegal foreign nationals, deepening inequality as well as poverty affecting the most vulnerable, unacceptable crime levels and gender-based violence affecting communities.
“Those who cannot imagine it and contribute solutions because they are enticed and preoccupied with pursing a narrow white supremacist regime change agenda will remain irrelevant beyond the dialogue and even in the future,” he said.
The Guardian 