Cape Town’s buildings could soon be 100% smoke free
The City of Cape Town continues its campaign to address the country’s tobacco use and are working with the Bloomberg Partnership for Healthy Cities to promote a 100% smoke-free environment for all. This works in conjunction with the new National Tobacco Bill that may soon be instated, which aims to effectively outlaw smoking in any public spaces.
The bill also includes amendments around stricter rules on where one is allowed to smoke; the inclusion of e-cigarettes under tobacco products; enforcement of plain packaging; the banning of tobacco products advertising at tills; and eliminating cigarette vending machines.
“The City of Cape Town was selected for Phase II of the Bloomberg Partnership for Healthy Cities. For this phase the City has elected to focus on Tobacco use and second hand smoke as the new National Tobacco Bill will be promulgated soon. The City of Cape Town wants to set an example for all residents in promoting a smoke free lifestyle and workplace,” said the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien in a statement.
The Partnership for Healthy Cities is a prestigious global network of cities committed to saving lives by preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the World Health Organization and Vital Strategies. It is a global network of 70 cities where mayors have committed to prevent NCDs – including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and chronic lung disease through proven interventions. The second phase of the Partnership launched in 2019.
City Health has integrated the Partnership for Healthy Cities opportunity into the larger Healthy Lifestyle Programme. In Phase I, City Health focused on reducing sugary drink consumption among the urban population.
“In Phase II, we are using similar tactics to create a smoke-free city. According to the South Africa Demographic and Health Survey, 25% of women and 42,9% of men in the Western Cape smoke daily. The goal is to create a smoke-free city through stakeholder engagement, education campaigns and review of internal City policy. The City of Cape Town will aim for as many of its buildings as possible to be compliant with the new workplace smoking policy post intervention,” said Councillor Badroodien.
Cigarette smoking is linked to the onset of all four of the most common non-communicable diseases: cancer, heart and lung disease, and diabetes. In addition to the high costs of treating diseases caused by its use, tobacco often kills people at the peak of their wage-earning capacity. This deprives families of their breadwinners, robs nations of a healthy and productive workforce, and contributes to the cycle of poverty that exists in many countries. It threatens global development.
City Health, together with multiple internal and external partners, has developed a three pronged approach to address tobacco use:
1. Policy Changes:
City Health and Human Resources, together with the policy unit, have updated the City’s smoking in the workplace policy. This new document is a framework which aims to discourage smoking, as well as protect non-smokers, while environmental Health will also play a role in monitoring compliance to this framework.
2. Increased enforcement of Tobacco Legislation:
Environmental Health, and other City departments, have ramped up enforcement of tobacco legislation within the City. Gaps in law enforcement were identified and roles and responsibilities are being defined. During the festive season activations were held at road blocks and beaches to educate the citizens on the harms of tobacco use.
3. Media Campaign:
City Health is creating a tobacco awareness campaign, which is both internally and externally focused. The aims of the campaign are to advertise that the City is going smoke free and to educate the community about the harms of second hand smoke.
‘Recent events have forced many people to stub out the habit, but many more are struggling to give up cigarettes as evidenced by the exorbitant prices they were willing to pay for cigarettes. We realise it’s not easy, but the City is doing as much as it can to assist employees and residents to stop smoking,’ added Councillor Badroodien.
Cape Town, South Africa
Liquor Amendment Bill could change SA legal drinking age
To increase efforts in better managing the country’s alcohol-related issues, the Democratic Alliance is pushing for government to pass the Liquor Amendment Bill which will change South Africa’s drinking laws significantly.
This particular bill has been stuck in cabinet for a number of years and many, including DA’s Dean Macpherson, feel the bill has the potential to better regulate alcohol in South Africa and reduce the damage caused by excessive consumption.
According to the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), a serious multi-structural plan is needed to pull South Africa out of its alcohol problems. Citing data from 2015, the council showed that up to 282 adults die as a result of alcohol consumption per day in South Africa, between 27 000 and 103 000 people a year.
The country is also ranked as one of the worst in the world for drunk driving. SA’s road traffic fatality rate is more than 33 per 100,000 population, this is almost double the global average. Research also shows that drunk driving accounts for 27.1% of fatal crashes in SA each year.
If instated, the bill will:
-Push the legal drinking age to 21
-Introduce a new 100-metre radius trading limitation around educational and religious institutions
-Ban the advertisement of alcohol on social and small media
-Introduce a new liability clause of booze-sellers
Mbalula says no one should be getting behind the wheel of a car with any alcohol in their system as the Road Traffic Amendment Bill was introduced in parliament in June 2020, which effectively introduced a 0% alcohol limit for all motorists.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
South Africans Are Reducing Stress and Saving Money By ‘Semigrating’ Due to New Remote Work Structures
As more workers switch to remote working during lock-down, a growing number of South Africans are looking to emigrate out of major towns and cities says Chas Everitt International property group.
Everitt said that many more people and companies have had to switch to remote working mode to survive and have realised that:
“We are thus not surprised that more employees as well as executives are now seriously exploring the idea of moving away from a big metro to a smaller town or an estate in a more rural area,” said Everitt.
“This pandemic has been a wake up call for many people and families who are now seriously reassessing their priorities, and seeking ways to make permanent changes to achieve a lifestyle that is less rushed and stressed, and we see this reflected in a significant increase in enquiries for country homes.”
In keeping with international trends, however, Everitt said that most do not want to relocate to another province or region, but just to a small town or estate that offers the possibility of a quieter life and is still within a couple of hours’ drive of their origin city – particularly if their friends or family members still live there.
The City of Cape Town is the most expensive metropolitan area in South Africa for rental prices. Many simply cannot afford to live in the city anymore, and are seeking homes elsewhere now that they have the freedom to work from home, alleviating much financial stress.
Everitt said the areas that could be prime targets for this process of “de-urbanisation” in South Africa are:
Everitt said that not all towns in these areas will immediately benefit from this trend.
He said those areas that can attract the “de-urbanites” with good municipal management, reliable power and water supplies, reliable and fast internet connectivity, reasonable proximity to an airport, good shopping and medical facilities and good schools if they have children will prosper most.
Looking at the type of properties these new semigrants are likely to buy, he said, there is already high demand among affluent buyers for homes in out-of-town lifestyle estates.
These include Val de Vie, Pearl Valley and Boschenmeer in the Wineleands, for example, as well as the golf estate in Mossel Bay, the estates at the Vaal and around Hartebeespoort and the high-end estates along the KZN North coast such as Zimbali, Simbithi and Mount Edgecombe.
“We expect to see rising demand for ordinary freehold homes and whatever apartments may be available in and around various small towns – and possibly also for smallholdings where young families can keep horses or some livestock, go off-grid and grow their own food if they wish.”
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
Possible Changes to South African Drinking and Cape Town Smoking Legislation
Cape Town’s buildings could soon be 100% smoke free
The City of Cape Town continues its campaign to address the country’s tobacco use and are working with the Bloomberg Partnership for Healthy Cities to promote a 100% smoke-free environment for all. This works in conjunction with the new National Tobacco Bill that may soon be instated, which aims to effectively outlaw smoking in any public spaces.
The bill also includes amendments around stricter rules on where one is allowed to smoke; the inclusion of e-cigarettes under tobacco products; enforcement of plain packaging; the banning of tobacco products advertising at tills; and eliminating cigarette vending machines.
“The City of Cape Town was selected for Phase II of the Bloomberg Partnership for Healthy Cities. For this phase the City has elected to focus on Tobacco use and second hand smoke as the new National Tobacco Bill will be promulgated soon. The City of Cape Town wants to set an example for all residents in promoting a smoke free lifestyle and workplace,” said the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien in a statement.
The Partnership for Healthy Cities is a prestigious global network of cities committed to saving lives by preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the World Health Organization and Vital Strategies. It is a global network of 70 cities where mayors have committed to prevent NCDs – including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and chronic lung disease through proven interventions. The second phase of the Partnership launched in 2019.
City Health has integrated the Partnership for Healthy Cities opportunity into the larger Healthy Lifestyle Programme. In Phase I, City Health focused on reducing sugary drink consumption among the urban population.
“In Phase II, we are using similar tactics to create a smoke-free city. According to the South Africa Demographic and Health Survey, 25% of women and 42,9% of men in the Western Cape smoke daily. The goal is to create a smoke-free city through stakeholder engagement, education campaigns and review of internal City policy. The City of Cape Town will aim for as many of its buildings as possible to be compliant with the new workplace smoking policy post intervention,” said Councillor Badroodien.
Cigarette smoking is linked to the onset of all four of the most common non-communicable diseases: cancer, heart and lung disease, and diabetes. In addition to the high costs of treating diseases caused by its use, tobacco often kills people at the peak of their wage-earning capacity. This deprives families of their breadwinners, robs nations of a healthy and productive workforce, and contributes to the cycle of poverty that exists in many countries. It threatens global development.
City Health, together with multiple internal and external partners, has developed a three pronged approach to address tobacco use:
1. Policy Changes:
City Health and Human Resources, together with the policy unit, have updated the City’s smoking in the workplace policy. This new document is a framework which aims to discourage smoking, as well as protect non-smokers, while environmental Health will also play a role in monitoring compliance to this framework.
2. Increased enforcement of Tobacco Legislation:
Environmental Health, and other City departments, have ramped up enforcement of tobacco legislation within the City. Gaps in law enforcement were identified and roles and responsibilities are being defined. During the festive season activations were held at road blocks and beaches to educate the citizens on the harms of tobacco use.
3. Media Campaign:
City Health is creating a tobacco awareness campaign, which is both internally and externally focused. The aims of the campaign are to advertise that the City is going smoke free and to educate the community about the harms of second hand smoke.
‘Recent events have forced many people to stub out the habit, but many more are struggling to give up cigarettes as evidenced by the exorbitant prices they were willing to pay for cigarettes. We realise it’s not easy, but the City is doing as much as it can to assist employees and residents to stop smoking,’ added Councillor Badroodien.
Cape Town, South Africa
Liquor Amendment Bill could change SA legal drinking age
To increase efforts in better managing the country’s alcohol-related issues, the Democratic Alliance is pushing for government to pass the Liquor Amendment Bill which will change South Africa’s drinking laws significantly.
This particular bill has been stuck in cabinet for a number of years and many, including DA’s Dean Macpherson, feel the bill has the potential to better regulate alcohol in South Africa and reduce the damage caused by excessive consumption.
According to the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), a serious multi-structural plan is needed to pull South Africa out of its alcohol problems. Citing data from 2015, the council showed that up to 282 adults die as a result of alcohol consumption per day in South Africa, between 27 000 and 103 000 people a year.
If instated, the bill will:
-Push the legal drinking age to 21
-Introduce a new 100-metre radius trading limitation around educational and religious institutions
-Ban the advertisement of alcohol on social and small media
-Introduce a new liability clause of booze-sellers
Mbalula says no one should be getting behind the wheel of a car with any alcohol in their system as the Road Traffic Amendment Bill was introduced in parliament in June 2020, which effectively introduced a 0% alcohol limit for all motorists.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
Moving Overseas: From Shipping and Insurance to Pets and Cars, Our Latest Video Covers It All
When it comes to moving overseas, there are many factors to consider. From how to pack and ship your goods, to whether to take your car with, to how to move your beloved pets, to whether your valuables will be insured if damaged, to how to reduce stress in the family.
Quintin Coetzee, our Marketing Assistant, recently interviewed owner and Managing Director of Kings International Removers, Rolf Lamers, about all of the above and more.
In this video interview, they cover a wide variety of topics pertaining to moving internationally. Feel free to watch it below, or click the link here to go to YouTube, where there are section links in the description for you to click to parts you’re most interested in hearing about.
Thank you again to Rolf for participating in this interview. For more information about Kings International, click here. We hope you find the video informative, and hope you learn a little more about what the process of becoming an expat is like.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
West Indian Ocean Cable Company Secures $20 million IFC Loan for Increased Broadband Connectivity Across Africa
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today announced a loan to the West Indian Ocean Cable Company Ltd (WIOCC) to help the telecoms infrastructure provider expand and improve affordable internet connectivity as it continues to serve over 30 countries in Africa.
The $20 million loan is part of IFC’s global $8 billion fast-track COVID-19 response facility, announced in March to help sustain economies and preserve jobs during the pandemic. IFC’s support will help WIOCC upgrade subsea capacity, including the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy), and roll out terrestrial fiber optic networks across the region. EASSy is an undersea fiber optic cable system connecting countries in Eastern Africa to the rest of the world.
According to a report by IFC, only about 22 percent of Africa’s population has access to an internet connection, the lowest of any region in the world. The African Union, with support from the World Bank Group, has set the goal of connecting every individual, business, and government on the continent by 2030. IFC’s partnership with WIOCC is a step toward helping address the connectivity gap in Africa.
WIOCC, a private company jointly owned by 14 African telecommunication operators, makes strategic investments in digital infrastructure to support reliable and scalable connectivity in Africa. WIOCC will be making additional investments in digital infrastructure in the immediate term in light of increased demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].