South Africa’s controversial National Dialogue must not be dominated by conservative and divisive voices. These are the words of Levy Singh, Youth 20 (Y20) South Africa Sherpa during his address at the first day of the three-day C20 South Africa launch held at The Capital on the Park in Sandton on Sunday.

When South Africa hosts the G20 summit later this year, it will be the first time the gathering takes place on African soil. 

The country recently officially assumed leadership of the Y20 — the G20’s dedicated platform for youth engagement — at a high-profile event recently held at the historic Rand Club in Johannesburg. 

“As civil society, we have to be bold and defend our core quality principles. As the Y20 We are committed to working with all the working groups. We also need to continue to deepen our unity and aligning over the next 23 weeks. South Africa will be handing over the G20 Summit to the US, and there is no certainty that our working groups will be sustained beyond this year under Donald Trump’s regime. However, we must continue to be robust and rigorous and put forward our progress agenda.”

On the National Dialogue, Singh said Y20 welcomes the need for South Africa to engage on broader socio-economic issues affecting all in the country.

“President Ramaphosa has agreed to include diverse voices. However, we must find a way we can link what comes out of the National Dialogue. We can’t have conservative voices to monopolise the dialogue and we need to be that bridge to the communities we serve, “said Singh.

Singh’s sentiments come after the Cosatu and other sectors of society dismissed “the ill-considered” proposed R700 million budget for the National Dialogue as well as some of the eminent persons who made the list. 

Reflecting on the country’s unequal society Tanya van Meelis who serves as the Head of the Policy Unit and Labour Market Policy Coordinator at Cosatu called for decent jobs for the country’s marginalised working class, adding that the current status quo cannot continue while the Government of National Unity (GNU) continue to be polite among each other.

“We cannot allow the voices of the exploited to be drowned our current multiparty government as they talk to each other politely. This is the battle ground, and we are here to fight hard for workers, for women and young people, the unemployed among us and the disabled.

“We here to shape a narrative to forge a path where the working class is not cursed by capitalist economy where a tiny elite hog wealth, while millions struggle to survive,” she said.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za

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