The GOOD Party expressed hopes on Tuesday that the National Dialogue will be more than symbolic and that it produces tangible outcomes.

Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that government will convene a National Convention, in August, which will set the agenda for a National Dialogue.

He explained that in the wake of government’s engagements with various entities, there was broad agreement to convene a National Dialogue, given the challenges facing the country.

Tuesday marked one year since the Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed, a “bold and necessary step towards restoring stability and collaboration in a fractured political landscape”, said GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron.

Herron claimed his party, a GNU partner, kept the centre from collapsing, however, he said GOOD was concerned because key elements of the GNU’s founding agreement remained unmet.

He noted that the “long-delayed dialogue” was a chance to “course-correct”.

The GOOD Party hopes to see outcomes that include a Basic Income Grant, spatial transformation, a capable State, and renewed economic inclusion.

He explained that without a common strategy, the GNU risked becoming a fragmented management structure, rather than a unified engine for change.

He said the Statement of Intent committed the parties to an agreed policy agenda, to be developed at a joint GNU Lekgotla, which he said never materialised.

“…instead, the Cabinet developed its Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) in isolation without the inclusive strategic session that was meant to shape it. This is more than an administrative oversight. It is a missed opportunity to forge real consensus, to root our policy agenda in the shared vision that brought the GNU into being,” he said.

Herron pointed out that three parties to the GNU Statement of Intent remained excluded from Cabinet, while one was excluded from even the extended Cabinet structure of Deputy Ministers.

“If the GNU is to work, its spirit must match its signature - collaborative, inclusive, and united in action,” he said.

Herron highlighted that for the first time, the official opposition, most notably the Democratic Alliance, had found itself at the table.

“This has placed them in uncharted waters, balancing critique with cooperation. It is a tightrope that GOOD has walked before. Being part of a unity government means more than sharing power. It means sharing purpose.

“You cannot govern through press releases. You cannot deliver justice or services with one foot in and one foot out. The real work lies not in merely critiquing policies, but in shaping, implementing, and owning them,” he said.

The GOOD Party said the second year of the GNU must be defined by implementation, noting that the country could not afford another year of “political positioning”.