Overview
- Delivering the keynote at Nelson Mandela University, Thabo Mbeki said South Africa requires urgent intervention as crises span the economy, politics, crime, corruption and regional relations.
- He urged the country’s intelligentsia, universities and civic leaders to move beyond wishlists and lead with actionable solutions rather than party manifestos.
- Mbeki proposed revisiting how the president is chosen, arguing Parliament fails to test whether a candidate is capable or fit for the role.
- He criticised the National Development Plan as a vision not translated into practical steps and questioned the lack of comprehensive consultation with health professionals on National Health Insurance.
- The Eastern Cape higher education launch, supported by the Strategic Dialogue Group and the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, convened universities, TVET colleges and social partners and was framed as the start of a sustained sectoral contribution to the wider National Dialogue.