• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Friday, May 9, 2025
Reporting South Africa Reporting South Africa
Reporting South Africa Reporting South Africa
  • Featured News
  • Nation
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Environment
    • Education
  • Art & Culture
    • Food
    • Art
    • Music
    • Fashion
  • Religion
  • Health & Science
    • Public Health
  • Our Student Journalists
    • Spring 2020
      • Ainsley Ash
      • Ayinde Summey
      • Elizabeth Stricklin
      • Laura Peterjohn
      • Renny Simone
      • Skylar Thoma
    • Fall 2019
      • Maggie Connolly
      • Kimberly Wipfler
      • Jamaica Ponder
      • Claudia Stagoff-Belfort
    • Spring 2019
      • Desi LaPoole
      • Kamal Morgan
      • Luke Riley
    • Fall 2018
      • Corey D. Smith
      • Francine Barchett
      • Natalie Elliott
      • Saam Niami Jalinous
    • Spring 2018
      • Kamilah Tom
      • Rebecca Redelmeier
      • Serena Hawkey
        • How circus school saved me from drugs and gangs
      • Hannah Green
      • Madeline Harvey
      • Jacqueline Flynn
    • Fall 2017
      • Mandela Namaste
      • Olivia Decelles
      • Samuel Gohn
      • Aisha Hauser
      • Samantha Tafoya
    • Spring 2017
      • Emily Rizzo
      • Arin Kerstein
      • Alexa Cole
      • Sealy McMurrey
  • Alumni

Politics

Cabinet reshuffle puts fizz in the sugary drinks tax fight

April 5, 2017 By Admin

By Sealy McMurrey

The Beverage Association of South Africa is hoping that the cabinet reshuffle will bolster its efforts to oppose government’s plans to tax sugary drinks.

Former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan proposed a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages‚ as part of government’s efforts to tackle obesity.

But during the budget meeting in February‚ the proposed implementation date of a sugar tax was shifted until later in 2017.

The beverage association‚ which represents the interests of the non-alcoholic beverage industry‚ is hoping to take advantage of Gordhan’s axing in favour of new Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba. Legislation to introduce the tax is yet to be finalised.

Speaking on behalf of the association‚ general manager for corporate services Tshepo Marumule said‚ “We have recognized the change in ministry and see it as an opportunity to take action forward against the tax”.

The cabinet reshuffle has fueled speculation about whether the sugar tax will still be implemented.

“Parliament convened on the taxation because in its current form‚ the tax is too complex and complicated and it can’t be proven that the tax will actually help South Africans’ health. We appreciate the further consultation on the tax and would like to see the best solution for the country‚” said Marumule.

The World Health Organization supports the imposition of a sugar tax. WHO South African representative Dr Rufaro Chatora said‚ “By implementing a tax on sugary drinks to increase the prices of these beverages‚ South Africa will be taking a proactive step to reduce the intake of sugars‚ which contribute to unhealthy weight gain and other diet-related NCDs [non-communicable diseases]‚ including diabetes”.

What lies ahead for the war on sweet beverages is uncertain but there appears to be some fizz left in the fight against taxing them.

– TMG Digital/The Times

Visit the published story here.

Featured Tagged With: BevSA, cabinet, finance minister, Gigaba, Gordhan, health, parliament, politics, reshuffle, South Africa, sugar tax, World Health Organization

I Care: A Safe Place for Durban Street Children

March 29, 2017 By Admin

I Care is a non-profit organization based in Durban, South Africa. Their mission is to help solve the problems of street children. This is an interview with Donation, an I Care employee. His job is to attempt to convince the children to experience the safety and comfort that is I Care and to get off the streets. I Care provides a get-away for the children. They are served meals, provided beds for naps, books to read, and games to play. The kids can even do arts and crafts or listen to music. But I Care hopes to eventually get the children in school or back living with a family member. Today, Donation tells us what it’s like to be a child begging on the street, and how we can help as citizens. Listen to the audio piece on sound cloud below:
https://soundcloud.com/emily-rizzo-659593274/donation

If you want to get involved or just learn more, check out I Care’s website:

Home

By Emily Rizzo

Education

An Interview from Cato Manor

March 20, 2017 By Admin

Interviewee Name: Romilla Nkosi

Photo courtesy of Romilla Nkosi

Romilla is a 38 year old woman from rural KwaZulu Natal. I met her while she was staying at her mother’s home in Cato Manor. Romilla is of Indian descent. She has been married to a black Zulu man for nine years, and she has a twenty- one year old half- Zulu son from a previous relationship. She described how she lives alone, as her son is at university and her husband works far away. Her extended family consists of her six siblings with 13 grandchildren and 5 great- grandchildren in the family. Romilla works for a non- profit old age home in Inanda outside of Durban. This past week she was visiting her mother, and nieces and nephews in their Cato Manor home. I interviewed Romilla to inquire what she has witnessed and her experiences with Afro- Indian culture in and around Cato Manor.

A: When did your family first come to Cato Manor?

R: My mother has lived in Cato for over fifteen years now. She must have come in about 2000.

A: Do you feel that there are tensions between Indian and black populations in Cato Manor?

R: I would say that you see tension in all areas. It’s not exclusive to Cato. There are even tensions where I live in the rural areas, since I’m an Indian and most people are Zulus. But tension comes from not wanting to communicate constructively. Communication comes in levels. Some people only want to talk about the negatives. If you have one person that wants a real conversation and the other person only wants to talk about what’s bad, it creates tension. If both people only want to talk about the negatives it creates tension. You have to be willing to communicate well in order to move forward, but there are some people who don’t want to do that.

A: What would you say are some of the success of the government post- apartheid?

R: Now we have freedom of rights. We are no longer oppressed from exploring our futures, our careers, schools, and traveling; we can go wherever we want now. We get to interact with different people are at schools now. I think it’s so good that we good to school with people who come from different cultures from our own. And because we can explore our own futures and careers we have control of our own lives.

A: What are some of the failures of the post- apartheid government and society in these past 20 years?

R: Overall in the past 20 years, the government has not been failing. The government is failing now. Despite developments, they are lacking in their promises. The presidents now are different. Mandela focused on education because he knew education is freedom for the future. In the rural areas where I live, I work for nonprofits for kids who have so much potential but they have no future because the schools are bad, and then the government doesn’t care to make them better. Now all we hear from our leaders is about their wives and personal lives. No one cares about education. People now will vote but our leaders are not keeping their promises.

A: Are people in the rural areas in high support for the ANC?

R: Yes, people in the rural areas still love the ANC even though they aren’t keeping their promises, but they are still voting. The leaders will say whatever because they know the people will vote. They don’t care about making improvements for education.

A: What are your thoughts on the mixing of Afro- Indian cultures in South Africa, along with interracial relationships and marriages between the two groups?

R: In terms of interracial marriages, people need to see that we are all one. It [race] doesn’t matter because we’re all people. You must learn to respect the culture, the religion, and the people, and see each other as people. I would say when it comes to people’s opinions on interracial relationships, 70% of people are in support, 25% of people would say maybe, and 5% say no. Definitely most people are for it and would consider being in one, some people are not sure, and there are a few people who have the same mentality of before.

A: That’s all I have for you! Thank you so much Romilla for speaking so openly with me.

R: You’re welcome, and thank you so much for speaking with me. I think it’s so important for when American students come to SA to talk to people about the issues we are currently going through. I hope you can come to the rural areas and see what education is like out there, and how are the kids there work. We are always excited to see American students who want to help and work with the nonprofits.

Education

The 2017 State of the Nation Address: A tale of South African — and American? — politics

February 13, 2017 By Admin

by Arin Kerstein

The events surrounding President Jacob Zuma’s 2017 State of the Nation Address on Thursday provided South Africans a viewing experience even more dramatic than Mzansi Magic’s “Isibaya” soap opera. This event was quite a spectacle, as Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Front (EFF) MPs — most notably from EFF leader Julius Malema — delayed Zuma’s speech with 78 minutes of interruptions and points of order, according to a Huffington Post recap. The evening turned quickly violent, with punches thrown during the removal of EFF members from Parliament on Thursday. This chaotic nature of the event continued with the illegal use of pepper spray onto members of the public.

While the evening’s events were initially surprising, delving into the motivations behind the spectacle provides an interesting view into the parallel nature of the current state of both South African and American politics. The apparent extreme levels of polarization across party lines seemed to permeate the event on Thursday, with MPs from the DA and EFF speaking out against Zuma and the ANC as a whole in a similar manner to the American Democratic party’s opposition to many of the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump at a time when political polarization in the United States is reaching unprecedented levels.

While the tactics within the RSA Parliament and US Congress may be a bit different, Malema’s removal on Thursday sparked an immediate connection to legislative theatrics in the United States such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) official silencing during the confirmation of Jeff Sessions as attorney general. The content of Zuma’s speech continued to mark many interesting parallels between contemporary political issues within our two nations ranging from racial income disparity to student debt and tuition assistance programs.

From this event, it is clear that the news of the nation will provide not only an interesting perspective into South Africa’s most pressing political and social issues but also into my own country.

Politics Tagged With: ANC, DA, EFF, Elizabeth Warren, Isibaya, Jacob Zuma, Jeff Sessions, Mzansi Magic, SONA, State of the Nation Address

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2

Primary Sidebar

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Photo of the Day, 14 February 2020

The Mzamba bridge hangs across Mzamba river in the Eastern Cape. Completed in 2015, the … [Read More...] about Photo of the Day, 14 February 2020

Photo of the Day, 13 February 2020

This painting of a black woman in an upscale restaurant in Durban's Florida Rd shows the stark … [Read More...] about Photo of the Day, 13 February 2020

Photo of the Day, 13 February 2020

An inspirational poster of Nelson Mandela sits alongside two Bibles in the entrance of the iCare … [Read More...] about Photo of the Day, 13 February 2020

Photo of the Day, 12 February 2020

A pile of quarried lime in one of multiple informal markets located at Warwick Junction, Durban, … [Read More...] about Photo of the Day, 12 February 2020

Photo of the Day, 11 February 2020

Buses arrive at the transportation port near Warwick Juncture. Commuters arriving at this bus and … [Read More...] about Photo of the Day, 11 February 2020

Photo of the Day, 10 February 2020

Traders have their wares on display at the Warwick Junction Markets. With thousands of informal … [Read More...] about Photo of the Day, 10 February 2020

The Program

Reporting South Africa is produced by US college and university students on an SIT Study Abroad program called “South Africa: Social and Political Transformation”. They are mentored by veteran journalists in a program applying technology and global consciousness to produce high-impact journalism on vital social issues.

Reporting South Africa strives to be a reliable resource for news and information about South Africa.

Learn More

SIT Logo

A pioneer in experiential, field-based study abroad, SIT (founded as the School for International Training) provides more than 60 semester and summer programs for undergraduate students in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs in multiple locations.

South Africa: Social and Political Transformation is a program of SIT Study Abroad.

FOLLOW REPORTING SOUTH AFRICA

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • The World Learning Inc. Family:
  • experiment.org
  • https://studyabroad.sit.edu
  • worldlearning.org

Footer

  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Apply
  • Alumni
  • Alumni Connect
  • Give
  • Media Center
  • Request Info
  • SIT Stories
  • School for International Training

    1 Kipling Road • Brattleboro, VT 05302 • 802 257-7751 • 800 257-7751 (toll-free in the US)
    SIT is a private nonprofit institution of higher education.

  • Explore SIT Graduate Institute

    © Copyright World Learning, Inc.