On the 13th of November 2025, the Centre for Mediation in Africa (CMA) in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria facilitated the very first citizen-led National Dialogue in the O.R. Tambo District in collaboration with traditional leaders and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Eastern Cape (COGTA-EC) with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In facilitating the dialogue, which brought together some 60 people, including women traditional leaders, representative of ten government departments at the local, district and provincial levels, and academia the CMA sought to do more than merely convene diverse groups and individuals, including traditional leaders, provincial and local government officials, civil society members, and academia
