South Africa’s rising unemployment rate is a ticking time bomb that will affect every citizen‚ black and white‚ rich and poor‚ warns the Congress of the People (Cope). The unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2016 increased to 27.1% from the second quarter‚ according to StatsSA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey released on Tuesday.Cope described the news as “disturbing”‚ against a backdrop of children having to go to bed hungry because their parents could not find jobs.“Is this government aware of how serious the situation is‚” asked the party.“We warn that failure to address the problem properly and urgently‚ it will push the poverty-stricken communities and the unemployed into causing an unstoppable revolt against government.”The party said government needed to think hard about the recently released minimum wage proposal of R3500. “A broader discussion forum must be given ample time to debate about this proposal and come forth with an amount agreed upon by everybody‚” said party spokesman Dennis Bloem.“We want to reiterate that unemployment is a ticking time-bomb among young people. We further warn that the situation is tense and government must act with speed and commitment before the situation worsens.“The whole country must know and understand that when this time-bomb explodes‚ it will affect each and every citizen of this country‚ black and white‚ rich or poor.”South Africa was a wealthy country‚ said Bloem‚ mired in a political and economic crisis. ..