Ahead of the National Convention kick-off on Friday, the GOOD Party said it will join the National Dialogue in order to help deal with South Africa’s youth unemployment, which it described as a ticking time bomb for social stability.

On Tuesday, Statistics South Africa reported that the unemployment rate worsened by 0.3 of a percentage point to 33.2% in the second quarter, compared with the unemployment rate of 32.9% reported for the first quarter of the year.

The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey showed 8.4-million people unemployed, 3.4-million discouraged work seekers, and young people aged 15–34 bearing the brunt, the party said.

GOOD national youth chairperson Kaden Arguile said these numbers were more than statistics.

“…they represent millions of young people’s lost opportunities, crushed ambitions, and growing despair. Prolonged unemployment fuels frustration and hopelessness. This week’s violent incidents - from the attacks on e-hailing drivers in Soweto to the torching of a Home Affairs building in Germiston - are a stark warning of how desperation can boil over into destructive action,” he said.

Arguile wants the National Dialogue to confront these challenges, and said the GOOD Party delegation would champion the voices of young people and demand “bold, practical action” to create jobs.

“For GOOD, participation is not about talk for talk’s sake - it’s about ensuring that the conversation leads to decisive action to tackle inequality, unemployment, and the exclusion of young people from the economy. The cost of ignoring youth unemployment will be far greater than the cost of investing in their future,” he stated.

Last week, seven legacy foundations withdrew from the National Dialogue Preparatory Task Team, calling for a postponement of the National Dialogue to allow for adequate preparation, coherence and participatory integrity, citing violations of the Dialogue’s core principles.

On Tuesday, the Solidarity Movement and its affiliates also announced their withdrawal, attributing the decision to its belief that the National Dialogue had been “hijacked” by the African National Congress.

ActionSA pointed out on Wednesday that owing to “serious and unresolved” questions, particularly around the budget for the National Dialogue, it will also not send a formal delegation to the National Convention gathering, instead an observation committee would attend this precursor event to the National Dialogue.