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Press Statement: Food and beverage companies are ‘cereal’ offenders when it comes to targeting children

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

New research demonstrates that child-directed marketing strategies are used on most South African breakfast cereals. 

“New research from University of the Western Cape, led by researcher Alice S. Khan, exposes how breakfast cereals, which directly market to children, have a lower nutritional value and 96% of the cereals studied had a nutritional health claim. There is an urgent need for regulations to restrict this predatory marketing and to introduce clear front-of-package warning labels on unhealthy products so consumers can make informed decisions,” says Nzama Mbalati Programmes Manager for HEALA.

The research shows that marketing and advertising is a key factor in promoting the consumption of ultra-processed products. Children are highly susceptible to these ads. Food and beverage advertising has remained unregulated even though children’s rights are guaranteed in the South African Constitution.

In this study, the researchers assessed the nutritional composition of 222 breakfast cereals, direct child marketing strategies (i.e., illustrations, characters, fantasy, role models), and indirect marketing to children’s parents (nutritional claims and health claims). Breakfast cereals with direct child marketing strategies had lower levels of protein and fibre and higher total sugar and carbohydrate content than those without direct marketing strategies.

HEALA is calling for the National Department of Health (NDoH) to ensure that there is strict regulation on the marketing of products with front of package warning labels, as this marketing has the potential to influence purchase and consumption of unhealthy products, and until now, has been highly pervasive and unregulated in South Africa. Research shows that mandatory restrictions are necessary to ensure that products do not have child-directed marketing. Promises made by the industry to self-regulate have not been effective in reducing targeted marketing to children.

South Africa is one of the few countries in the world that promotes peoples access to high-quality food in its Constitution. Section 27(1)(b) of the South African Constitution guarantees all the right to sufficient food and commits the state to the progressive realisation of this right. Additionally, Section 28(1)(c) states that every child has the right to basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services. Hence its crucial that the State guards against industry practices that seek to reverse the hard earn gains enshrined in our constitution.

Draft Regulation Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs (R3337) furthers South Africa’s commitment to the right to food by regulating how unhealthy products are marketed to children and adults and through introducing front-of-package labels warning of high levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat. The comment period for Draft Regulation 3337 was recently extended until 21 September 2023, we suspect due to the lobbying efforts of the food and beverage industry to stall its implementation.

ENDS

About HEALA’s advocacy work in South Africa:
HEALA is a coalition of civil society organisations advocating for equitable access to affordable, nutritious food in South Africa by building a more just food system. Because government policy forms a crucial part of the South Africa’s food system, HEALA believes that hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition are policy choices.

HEALA advances the right to food by advocating for more just food systems in South Africa. We do this by acting as a platform for organisations and communities to organise around the realisation of the right to affordable and nutritious food. Through our campaigns, we help amplify the voices of people on the ground to ensure that they are heard by those in power at a local, provincial and national level.

HEALA’s vision is a South Africa in which all people have equitable access to healthy food to unlock their full potential.

For more information HEALA’s advocacy work, please visit: https://heala.org

Media Contact
Zukiswa Zimela, Communications Manager
zzimela@heala.org | 0745210652

Activists call for more restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks to children

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

With one day to go before the 21 July closing of the public comment period for new draft legislation on mandatory food labelling and restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks, the Healthy Living Alliance (Heala) is calling on government to strengthen the proposed marketing restrictions – specifically, to place tougher restrictions on advertising and marketing to children.

The new draft regulations, called R3337, include long-awaited, mandatory front-of-pack warning labels for foods high in added sugars, fats and salt, and on any product containing artificial (non-sugar) sweeteners, to reduce the risks of obesity and non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The draft regulations also propose long-awaited restrictions on the marketing and advertising of foods and drinks to children, who are particularly vulnerable to the influences of marketing, and are often the targets of “aggressive food and beverage advertising campaigns”, Heala says.

Read the whole article here: https: Daily Maverick 

OP ED: Help protect your fellow South Africans against predatory food practices

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

The National Department of Health has released front-of-pack warning label regulations for public comment. South Africans need to participate in the process to ensure that we are all protected from profit-driven corporate activities promoting harmful goods and unhealthy food.

Growing up in the Eastern Cape, I remember eating foods prepared from start to finish in our home kitchen. Boarding school introduced me to packaged foods. And university introduced me to fast food. 

But I would never have imagined that this change was seeping into the food environment, with ultra-processed foods becoming the norm.

It is no wonder that the explosion in obesity rates and the rise in noncommunicable diseases in the Global South coincided with the proliferation of fast, convenient food.

Research shows that two in five women and one in nine men in South Africa are obese. Children don’t fare any better. The South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that South African children between the ages of 6-14 years have a combined overweight and obesity prevalence of 13.5%.

The idea is that we are being sold convenience and affordability. Little is said about the negatives: the rising rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancers.

To make them cheaper and more profitable, many of the ultra-processed foods we eat are loaded with additives such as sugars, salts and trans fats which wreak havoc on our bodies and put us at risk of preventable premature death, while we are armed with little more than impossible to understand back-of-pack nutrition labels.

To curb the ballooning burden of noncommunicable diseases, the World Health Organization recommends the implementation of evidence-based government-ledstrategies and policies to improve the food system and diet in the population.

One of these strategies is the use of stronger food regulations such as front-of-pack warning labels that are visible and consumers can understand at a glance. A deluge of research has found that large warning labels with a contrasted background for better noticeability, and the use of “excess” instead of “high in”, improve understanding of the nutritional content found in certain foods, leading to a change in people’s food-making choices for the better.

Fresh regulations

The National Department of Health has released front-of-pack warning label (FOPWL) regulations for public comment. South Africans need to participate in the process to ensure that we are all protected from profit-driven corporate activities promoting harmful goods and unhealthy food.

The newly published FOPWL and marketing draft regulation, R3337, will make it easier for all South African consumers to have clear information about the food we consume, empowering us to make better food choices. The regulations will also make it harder for major food organisations to market to children, who are vulnerable to the food industry’s predatory marketing practices.

Of course, the food industry could take a page out of big sugar’s playbook to block or water down the regulations, citing the cost to the economy caused by the implementation of front-of-pack warning labels and other effective public health policies. At the end of last year, the sugar industry used this tactic to bolster its calls for the scrapping of the Health Promotion Levy, a government policy aimed at reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, which have been shown to have a negative effect on consumers’ health.

The tactic, used against a population suffering from hunger and poverty, is a low blow. The reality is that people should not have to choose between filling their stomachs in the short term and irreparably damaging their health in the long term.

We know that unless the food and beverage industry is forced to change, it is unlikely to. Experts from Priceless SA at the University of Witwatersrand School of Public Health found there is no evidence that voluntary actions by the food and beverage industry can safeguard public health. In fact, voluntary actions can delay the implementation of lifesaving interventions. Mandatory regulatory interventions are easier to monitor than self-regulation.

Contrary to the food and beverage industry’s claims about the cost to the economy, the costs of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers are impossible to ignore. Disease itself has a cost, and for many South Africans, the cost of paying for healthcare and the inability to work due to illness takes food out of their mouths.

Researchers at Wits University crunched the numbers and found that “overweight and obesity are costing South Africa’s health system R33-billion a year”.

It is condescending to assume that poor people do not care about the quality of the food they eat. Researchers found that parents were more than keen to choose better food for their families, particularly if there was a sick person at home. What they needed was easy-to-understand information on which to base those choices, as outlined earlier.

It is true that warning labels alone won’t fix the entire problem of a profit-driven food environment, but it is a step in the right direction. Failure to act will result in more deaths and increased suffering.

We need your voice to ensure that the new front-of-pack warning label regulations are passed. Use this link to ask the National Department of Health to listen to YOU and pass the regulations. DM

Zukiswa Zimela is the communications manager at the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA).This opinion piece was published in the Daily Maverick on the 16th of May 2023

WE ARE HIRING: Finance and Admin Intern

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Position:  Finance and Admin Intern

Location:  Rosebank, Johannesburg

Contract duration:  9 months

Closing date:  24th May 2023

 

About us:

Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is a coalition of civil society organisations advocating for equitable access to affordable, nutritious food in South Africa by building a more just food system.  HEALA’s vision is a South Africa in which all people have equitable access to healthy food to unlock their full potential.

The Role:

An exciting opportunity exists for a Finance and Admin Intern who will assist in managing the financial and administrative duties of HEALA. This role includes managing monthly reconciliations, daily administrative duties and supporting programme team.

Who we’re looking for: 

The ideal candidate should be educated with a Diploma in Accounting; or have a BCom Accounting degree. They should  have the ability to apply their knowledge of financial management; proficient knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Internal Control Fundamentals; have knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel, a thorough knowledge of external regulations as well as internal corporate policies and procedures; excellent oral and written communication skills as well as excellent quantitative and analytical skills; strong critical thinking and problem solving skills, the Ability to analyse and interpret financial data, identify/resolve errors and prepare reports and the ability to motivate and work well with others.

In addition to this the candidate should have the ability to analyse financial transactions, to review and determines compliance with laws and regulations and make recommendations for approval; review and analyse recommendations be strong on attention to detail.

The candidate should also have strong commitment to HEALA values and ethos.

The duties and responsibilities for the role are as below:

  • Prepare payment requests together with supporting documents;
  • Load payments on the online banking;
  • Process cashbook and bank reconciliations;
  • Closely work with the Finance Manager together with Programme Manager in order to manage cash flow effectively;
  • Maintain tracking tool for expenses;
  • Ensure all statutory payments are paid on time;
  • Credit Card Reconciliations;
  • Responsible for bringing any official and legal correspondence to the attention of the Senior Management Team and assist with adequate responses;
  • Engage travel agent with regard to travelling arrangements;
  • Maintain the asset register

What we offer:

HEALA is committed to providing a welcoming, supportive workplace where we recognise a job well done, encourage close collaboration and sharing power.

How to apply:

Suitably qualified candidates are required to email their updated CV’s and cover letter clearly explaining their suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile to info@HEALA.org   by 11.59 GMT on 25th May 2023 . 

Please check your application and make sure you meet all the essential criteria listed in the person specification. In addition, your application will be stronger if you meet at least some of the desirable criteria.

Due to high volumes of applications received, we can only correspond with short listed applicants. Should you not have received feedback on your application within three weeks of the closing date, please consider your application as unsuccessful.

HEALA will not consider unsolicited candidates from recruitment agencies. We reserve the right to modify or withdraw any of our vacancies at any time.

 

HEALA is an equal opportunities employer. HEALA promotes affirmative action in policies and practices for the hiring, training, retention and promotion of all staff. HEALA will monitor its staff complement against the national Employment Equity statistics. All applicants must be in possession of the appropriate and valid rights to work in South Africa.

 

HEALA collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants as part of their recruitment process.

STATEMENT: For South Africans, Front-of-Pack Warning Labels are long overdue.

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

18 April 2023

The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) applauds the National Department of Health (NDoH) for releasing for public comment the Front-of-Pack Warning Label (FOPWL) regulations. We would like to encourage all South Africans to support the introduction of these mandatory black warning labels which will protect us from profit–driven corporate activities promoting harmful goods and unhealthy food.

Following global trends, South Africans are consuming an increasing amount of ultra-processed foods, leading to adverse health complications and poor health outcomes for a lot of South Africans, including children. The dominance of these unhealthy products in stores, incomprehensible food labels, and aggressive advertising by the food industry undermine consumers’ ability to choose healthier food options.

The newly published FOPWL and marketing draft regulation, R3287, is a ground breaking intervention that will serve as an enabler for South African consumers to have clear information about the food they are consuming, thus empowering them to make better food choices.

READ MORE: Parents Want To Make Healthy Food Choices For Their Children. 
 

This step taken by government is long overdue given the thousands of South African citizens who have succumbed to the effects of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease linked to unhealthy diets. Currently, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease are among the top 10 leading causes of death in the country.

“High in” front-of-pack warning labels, which clearly identify products that are high in things like sugar, salt, and saturated fat will help consumers spot unhealthy foods. HEALA believes that front-of-pack warning labelling can be used as a policy tool to promote healthy diets by making it easier for consumers to understand the nutritional values of the food they are eating and making healthier food choices.

Given the overwhelming number of people suffering from obesity and non-communicable diseases in our country, almost half of women and almost 1 in 4 men, it is vital that government uses all tools at its disposal to protect the South African population from these deadly diseases.

“We believe that food regulation is vital to counter the food industry’s greed and profit making mechanisms,” says Nzama Mbalati, Head of Programmes at HEALA.

The regulations will also make it harder for organizations to advertise and market to children, who are the most vulnerable to the food industry’s predatory marketing practices.

HEALA would like to encourage all those who live in South Africa to engage with the regulations and show their support by submitting here. https://awethu.amandla.mobi/petitions/demand-warning-labels-on-all-unhealthy-food?source=healastatement

Press Statement: HEALA CALLS ON THE FINANCE MINISTER TO TAKE THE HEALTH OF SOUTH AFICANS SERIOUSLY AHEAD OF HIS 2023 BUDGET SPEECH

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is calling on the Finance Minister to put people’s health ahead of industry interests when he delivers his 2023 budget speech on 22nd of February. South Africans are facing a deluge of non-communicable diseases which could be prevented if the government institutes research based fiscal and legislative policies. Our health system is significantly challenged. The South African health system faces a range of systemic and structural challenges to deliver quality and affordable health care.

It is important to clarify that many of the issues plaguing the sugar sector have little to do with the Health Promotion Levy (HPL). The challenges plaguing the sugar industries are well documented and date back to over two decades prior to the implementation of the HPL in 2018, the sugar industry was already highlighting issues of a lack of economies of scale and scope, high inputs costs (Chemicals and seeds), lack of access to markets, farming marginal and communal lands and serious governance challenges, especially in cooperatives. These were highlighted by the South African Farmers Development Association (SAFDA) to the Trade Industry and Competition Committee in 2017.

“The main issues are cheap sugar imports, climate change, floods, loadshedding and the sugar industry’s own inefficiencies, corporate governance and corruption, high labour outputs, outdated technology. The HPL cannot be the main reason for the sugar industry’s problem. It is important for Industry to begin addressing its own inefficiencies that affect jobs and stop scapegoating the HPL” says Nzama Mbalati, Programme Director at Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA).

South Africa suffers from a considerable health burden including communicable disease, violence, and injury as well as non-communicable diseases. Reducing morbidity and mortality for all South Africans requires an approach that transcends health services, where public policy addresses the broader social and economic determinants of health by designing and implementing interventions that improve people’s health more effectively than individual interventions within the health sector.

Legislative, regulatory, and fiscal policies could substantially and cost-effectively reduce the burden of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases. South Africa has successfully reduced the salt content of foods through mandatory regulation and there is evidence demonstrating that a 20 per cent tax on sugary beverages will reduce obesity.

What the sugar industry fails to mention is how much the illnesses caused by their products are costing taxpayers. Diet-related diseases are killing us. In 2017, about 47000 people died from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Currently, an estimated twelve million South Africans suffer from diet-related diseases. It costs ZAR62 billion to treat annually, and about ZAR33 billion of that expenditure can be avoided if SA takes measures to prevent diet-related diseases.

SA cannot sit for her people to suffer from industry profit activities. Industry must accept responsibility of loss of life, rising NCD management cost, and the pain our people suffer through no

fault of theirs. The history of the South African sugar industry cast light upon deeply rooted obstacles for sugar reduction anti-obesity interventions.

This is money that could be used to fund much-needed social programmes. Let us remember that this financial burden falls on the very people whose jobs they claim have been shed by the tax, the money used to treat people with non-communicable diseases is taken from the taxpayers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet.

Research exists to show that the sugar tax has worked in reducing obesity, particularly in young people. Experts from the Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge reported that the introduction of the sugar tax was associated with an 8% relative reduction in obesity levels.

The local sugar industry has been and continues to be in steady decline. It is important for the industry to pivot and find relevance in diversifying crops and look at other uses of sugar through biofuel market.

ENDS
For more information and interviews, please contact:

Nzama Mbalati on 082 734 5414
Zukiswa Zimela on 074 521 0652

PRESS STATEMENT: HEALA Calls For Accountability and Transparency From Finance Minister Godongwana

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Press Release

21 October 2022

For Immediate Release

HEALA CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY FROM FINANCE MINISTER GODONGWANA…

During the 2022 Budget Speech, the Minister of Finance announced a planned increase to the HPL of 4.5% – raising the levy from 2.21 cents to 2.31 cents per gram of sugar for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). HEALA welcomed this announcement as it would be the first increase since the HPL was enacted in 2018.

To HEALA’s disappointment, the National Treasury postponed the increase to April 2023. We believe that the decision to postpone the health promotion levy (HPL) was a result of the sugar industry interference and lobbying.

“There are deep historical roots of the South African sugar industry and its influence on dietary sugar consumption at the population level. The sugar industry is a prime example of a colonial activity shaping the economy, polity, penetration of sugar content into food products, and blocking proven public health policies for an extended period. With the soaring health conditions linked to unhealthy food, the reliance on sugar and energy dense diet for industry profiteering is no longer sustainable,” explains HEALA Programmes Head Nzama Mbalati.

The National Treasury has not given the reason for this postponement or how the decision was made. This lack of transparency and accountability is worrying especially regarding a food policy that helps prevent unhealthy consumption of SSBs and protects the public against obesity and other life-threatening non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

“We have been trying to have productive engagement to get answers from the National Treasury about the meetings that led to the decision to postpone the increase; however, these requests have been ignored. We submitted a Public Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to the National Treasury, this application has also been ignored. We believe  National Treasury has failed to follow the Promotion of Access to Information ACT (PAIA) by not responding to our request to access this information, says Mbalati.

HEALA believes in food justice and for all South Africans to have equitable access to affordable and nutritious food. We know that this can be achieved through strengthening food policies that protect the public against unhealthy food environments and those that promote good health.

The economic, household, and individual costs of not realising the Right to Food are placing our people at a disadvantage to develop into a flourishing nation.  HEALA calls on the government to wholeheartedly commit to strengthening the health promotion levy, an existing and successful health policy, that benefits both the public’s health and government fiscals.  The National Treasury must increase its efforts to raise the HPL to the intended 20% and begin the process of expansion to fruit juices and lowering the 4g threshold.

ENDS 

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

HEALA is a leading alliance of civil society and academic organisations fighting for every person’s right to healthy food in South Africa. Launched in 2016 by civil society organisations and academic institutions, HEALA successfully campaigned for the Sugary Drinks Tax implemented by the South African Government in April 2018. HEALA’s current campaigns include advocating for clear warning labels on ultra-processed foods, healthy food environment, marketing restrictions of junk food and sugary drinks to under-age children in South Africa.

For more information, please visit https://heala.org/

Issued on behalf of HEALA by Maverick Communications

Neo Merafi +27 71 359 9738

Crosby Amos +27 82 561 3544

For more information and interview opportunities, please contact:

Nzama Mbalati

082 7345414 nzama@heala.org

STATEMENT: Parents want to make healthy food choices for their children

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Making healthy food choices is almost impossible when you do not know what is in the food you are eating.  

 When shown images of foods with warning labels, parents indicated that they would buy less foods high in nutrients of concern that were labelled as “high in sugar, sodium, saturated fat” and switch to non-labelled, healthier, foods. 

 This is according to an investigation [1] by researchers from the University of Limpopo, the University of Western Cape, and the University of North Carolina on parents’ food purchasing decisions and perceptions of unhealthy food.  

 Following global trends, South Africans are consuming increasing amount of ultra-processed foods. A quick trip to the grocery store shows that shelves are increasingly filled with pre-packaged foods which are often high in nutrients of concern such as in salt, sugar, and fat.  

 Nutrients of concern contribute to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Worryingly South Africans have a 51.9 per cent chance of dying from an NCD – diabetes, heart diseases and stroke being the most likely culprits – according to the NCD Countdown 2030. [2] South Africa has one of the highest prevalence rates of diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa. [3] 

 Parents looking to make better health choices for their families are bombarded by confusing and overly technical nutritional information buried at the back of the tins, boxes, and bottles at the store. Easy to read front-of-package labelling would translate the information consumers need to know into simple language.  

 The researchers noted that poor nutrition knowledge and affordability surfaced as one of the leading influencers of parental food selection. This study illustrated parents’ misconception about ultra-processed/unhealthy foods, where for the first time, they realized that these products were high in sugar.  

 “HIGH IN” front-of-pack warning labels, which clearly identify products that are high in things like sugar, salt, saturated fat, would help consumers easily spot unhealthy foods. 

 The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) believes that consumers have a right to know what is in the food they are eating. Easy to read front-of-pack warning labels could help consumers make better health choices.  

 We are asking concerned parents, caregivers, and ordinary citizens to join our call to The National Department of Health (NDoH) to release [for commentary] by signing this petition.  

 “Addressing non-communicable diseases needs legislative, regulatory and other measures agency to help save lives now. South Africa needs front-of-package labelling on its toolbox to help consumers make better choices and live healthier lives,” says HEALA Programmes Head, Nzama Mbalati. 

 For more information, visit www.whatsinmyfood.org.za to get more information on how you can be a part of the cause or add your voice by sending a WhatsApp to 079 751 9751. 

 Ends –  

 

 

[1] Bopape M, Taillie LS, Swart R (2022). Perceived effect of warning label on parental food purchasing and drivers of food selection among South African parents – an exploratory study. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10.3389/fpubh.2022.939937 

 

[2] https://defeat-ncd.org/new-reports-south-africans-now-most-likely-to-die-from-ncds/ 

 

[3] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16089677.2021.1897227 

 

The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is a coalition advancing food justice in South Africa.  

 

For interviews contact  

Zukiswa Zimela  

Communications Manager: HEALA 

zzimela@heala.org 

0745210652 

 

Treasury chooses special interests over people

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

16 May 2022

For interviews, contact:
Nzama Mbalati, HEALA
082 734 5414
Nzama@heala.org

16 May 2022

Treasury’s postponement of a planned 4.5% increase to the health promotion levy, announced in the 2022 Budget, raises concerns about who calls the shots on the country’s national economic and health policy. The increase, initially announced to go into effect 01 April 2022, was a long overdue but welcomed action to curb the high consumption of unhealthy sugary drinks, reducing the risk of health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. The levy has the additional benefit of generating revenue to support the Budget Review’s stated intent “to extend support to poor and vulnerable South Africans”.

“This delay calls into question the government’s appreciation of our current economic and health crises and looks like an attempt to appease short-term interests at the expense of the long-term health of our nation, says Nzama Mbalati, head of health advocacy organisation HEALA.

South Africa introduced a health promotion levy of 11% on sugary beverages to help curb the country’s sugar consumption fuelling a rise in noncommunicable diseases. The increase would raise the levy from 2.21 cents to 2.31 cents per gram of sugar for sugar-sweetened beverages above the threshold of 4 grams of sugar per 100 ml.

“We know that by reducing the amount of sugar people consume, the levy creates a healthier South Africa, reducing the cost of treating noncommunicable diseases and creating a healthier and more productive workforce, Mbalati explains. But the levy’s benefits are only possible if it keeps pace with inflation, and Treasury hasn’t meaningfully increased the levy since it was introduced in 2018. This delay shows that Treasury has chosen special interests over the health of our country.”

Treasury’s announcement did not explain how or why the government decided to postpone the increase to the current levy, only stating that the 12-month postponement of the increase is proposed to allow consultation on the expansion of the HPL to include fruit juices and lower the 4g threshold of the levy.

“An increase to the existing levy is unrelated to whether the government decides to expand the levy to include fruit juices or lower the sugar threshold. Treasury is deliberately mixing these two issues to appease special interests while at the same time slashing health, education and social support budgets and eroding our socio-economic rights. How long until our government realises that our nation will never meet its economic potential without investment in health and social protection programmes?” says Mbalati.

HEALA is calling for National Treasury to immediately:

  • Stop budget cuts that impactsocioeconomic rights provisions such as health and education;
  • Overturn the proposed postponement and implement the 4.5% increase to the HPL immediately, alongside consultations for expanding the HPL.
  • Indicate whether public commentary on the Revised Draft Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill can be made and provide a deadline for comments.
  • Explain why a postponement of the increase is now considered an essentialrequirement to enable consultations to expand the levy and reduce the threshold, especially when the announcements made in the 2022 Budget indicated no conflict between the two processes.
  • Release the intended process for consultations, including timeframes andstakeholders, as soon as possible to ensure transparencyand help build public confidence and participation.

HEALA wrote an official letter to National Treasury dated 04 April 2022 to engage on this issue and made several attempts to follow up and secure a meeting with the Department to no avail.  

For media enquiries, contact:
Nzama Mbalati, HEALA
082 734 5414
nzama@heala.org

Vacancy: Communications manager

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Are you an exceptional communicator with at least five years’ experience in journalism or communications? Are you committed to social justice and health equality?

We are looking for a communications manager to implementation of HEALA’s communication strategy and to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate communications to support HEALA’s primary policy advocacy campaigns.

This person must have the ability to think strategically, handle ambiguity, and problem solve in a fast-paced, limited-structure, multicultural environment.

HEALA is a coalition of civil society organisations advocating for equitable access to affordable, nutritious food in South Africa by building a more just food system.
HEALA’s mission is to create a platform for communities to organise and mobilise around policy and the realisation of the right to affordable, nutritious food.
Find out more on our website.

Role specifics

  • Fixed term position – 1 year contract.
  • Location – Rural Health Advocacy Project – Rosebank Johannesburg.
  • Closing date 25 April 2022.

What we’re looking for

This work is all about conveying information to various audiences, including a range of cultures and international partners, donors and NGOs. The skills we’re looking for include:

  • Fluent written and spoken English as well as one other South Africa language.
  • Sound knowledge of the South African media sector, including news production cycles and outlets.
  • Basic knowledge of social media and website metrics, including Twitter and Facebook.
  • Experience with web content management systems and newsletter delivery systems such as Mailchimp is a plus.
  • Proven ability to translate health and/or scientific research jargon into easy-to-understand language; experience in helping researchers and experts do the same is an added advantage.
  • Excellent oral and written communications skills, including the ability to communicate about complex issues in sensitive and compelling ways.
  • Willingness to travel nationally or internationally as required.

What the role looks like

Key performance areas include:

  • Designing, writing and editing advocacy communications materials for the HEALA coalition and specific policy advocacy campaigns
  • Managing the content and co-ordination the reporting for all of HEALA’s digital platforms including the WordPress website, MailChimp and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn)
  • Facilitating effective communication within the HEALA coalition and with external stakeholders
  • Building and maintain relationships with the media
  • Overseeing event management
  • Effective self-management and performance ownership

Find out more

You can find further information at the full job spec.

How to apply

Accepted applications will comprise of two parts:

  1. Your CV detailing all relevant experience and education
  2. A cover letter answering these three questions:
    • Please describe a piece of communications work that you are proud of and provide links where possible. What was your role in creating this work?
    • What are three important values you would embody as the communications manager for HEALA, and can you give examples of how you embody them already?
    • What are two concrete learnings from your experience working in communications sector that you would bring to HEALA?

Please email your CV and cover letter to nboomgaard@witshealth.co.za with the subject line: RHAP-Comms Manager before 15 March 2022.