On Tuesday, 4 June, 9.30am to 12.30pm Unicef, in partnership with Mail & Guardian invites you to a critical thinking forum discussion on the regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs in SA.

Unicef South Africa aims to support the National Department of Health in its efforts to regulate the labelling and advertising of foodstuff in South Africa to protect the health of children and young people in particular.

Labelling plays a vital role in combating obesity, it provides the consumer with information to make informed choices about their food purchases and can effectively reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases.

Join the discussion on the importance and the implications of regulations to the health of South African children. 

Join the live stream here. 

Make your voice heard by submitting your written inputs to the Director-General of Health in support of these Regulations before 21 July using the following email address: [email protected]

On Wednesday, 5 July at 9am at Heideveld Secondary School, Waterberg Road, Heideveld, the anti-austerity campaign will launch Cry of the Xcluded 

“For several years, the South African government has implemented and gradually increased the depth of what can only be described as austerity measures. Since 2013, consecutive National Budgets have prioritied significant cuts and limitations towards government expenditure for basic service provision, public infrastructure, employment stimulation and social protection. As is often the case, the slashing of expenditure towards the public good coincides with tax relief for the rich, interest rate hikes and a deepening of regressive taxation,” the invitation reads.

To RSVP or for more information contact: Busi Mtabane at 083 329 7844 or send an email to [email protected] 

On Wednesday 5 July 5, at 6pm the Institute of Economic Justice is hosting a webinar Feminist Economics, Debt, Structural Adjustment, and the Climate Crisis.

“During the International Association for Feminist Economics (Iaffe) Conference taking place in Cape Town from 5 to 8 July 2023, the IEJ and International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs), alongside the Iaffe conference organisers and hosts, will host a reception and panel discussion on Feminist Economics, Debt, Structural Adjustment, and the Climate Crisis. 

The panel will delve into the critical issues surrounding the current debt crisis and its intersections with climate change. The event acknowledges the significant contributions of feminist macroeconomic analysis in uncovering the gendered repercussions of Structural Adjustment Programs during the 1980s and 1990s, shedding light on the multifaceted consequences of austerity measures on work, livelihoods, care, resource accessibility, household dynamics, and social reproduction. 

Visit the registration page for the list of speakers here.

On Thursday, 6 July at 6pm Renowned epidemiologist and activist Salim Abdool Karim will launch his book titled Standing up for Science: a Voice of Reason at Exclusive Books, Hyde Park. 

The book documents the first three years of the Covid-19 pandemic in a bid to help future generations tackle the next pandemic. Abdool Karim stepped down as co-chair of the Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee in 2021 after being part of 119 advisories on the pandemic.

The infectious diseases epidemiologist is the director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (Caprisa) and serves as a special adviser on pandemics to the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO).

RSVP at the following address: [email protected] 

On Thursday, 6 July, Open Secrets and The Sentry will be publishing their investigative report “Fronts, Fakes and Facades”. The report will be Open Secrets’ first investigation into State Capture beyond South Africa.

On Sunday, 9 July at 10.45am The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, The WhistleBlower House and News24 are hosting a documentary screening and discussion on the assassination of the late whistleblower, Babita Deokaran.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Gauteng Department of Health’s Babita Deokaran

The civil servant, who blew the whistle on irregular spending worth millions in Tembisa Hospital, was chief director of financial accounting at Gauteng province’s health department. She was shot nine times as she pulled up to her home in a south Johannesburg suburb, minutes after dropping her teenage daughter at school.

Due to limited space RSVP is essential. To RSVP, email The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation at [email protected]. 

Accountability for Action calls for nominations of exceptional public servants 

The nomination deadline has been extended to invite all friends and partners to nominate outstanding individuals who embody integrity and go above and beyond. 

“An Integrity Icon is a South African public servant working in any government service or department. They embody the value of integrity and demonstrate the importance of honesty, accountability and personal responsibility. An Integrity Icon does more than do their job diligently, but goes above and beyond the call of duty in the spirit of “Batho Pele” to help ensure an excellent public service for South Africans,” the brief reads. 

Nominate an Integrity Icon here.

Access the nominations form for the Civic Leaders South Africa campaign for 2023 here. 

Food bank call: Families in KZN displaced due to extreme weather conditions

The recent onslaught of heavy rains and extreme weather conditions in KwaZulu-Natal has left a trail of destruction in its wake. Countless families have lost their homes and are now seeking refuge and safety in local community halls. As the affected areas grapple with the aftermath of the tornado and flooding, non-profit food redistribution organisation, FoodForward SA is calling on all South Africans to come together and lend a helping hand to those in need.

With a major distribution warehouse in Pinetown, FoodForward SA is receiving and transporting donated supplies to the affected people. The NGO is appealing to all public and corporate entities in South Africa to donate — non-perishable groceries, blankets, mattresses, water, toiletries, and baby food, to the organisation’s warehouse located at 23 Gillitts Road, New Germany, Pinetown.

“Many families have been displaced and housed in local community halls. FoodForward SA is responding by providing warm meals at the community halls. Our staff are on site this morning and working with disaster management and our local social partners to provide support to those in need,” said Andy Du Plessis, Managing Director of FoodForward SA.

“Please support our call to action to assist the people affected. We need blankets, mattresses, water, toiletries, baby food, and non-perishable groceries.”

In addition to physical donations, there are other ways to contribute. For more information or to arrange an alternative donation, please contact FoodForward SA at 021 531 5670 or email:  [email protected]

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development invites you to submit written comments on proposed reforms for the whistleblower protection regime in South Africa.

View the Discussion Paper here:

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development recommendations on reforming the whistleblowing legislative landscape have been made available for public comment by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Ronald Lamola.

The Department also evaluated Whistleblower systems in five African nations — Uganda, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana — to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. The selection of these countries was strategically diverse, enabling exploration of the universal aspects of the Whistleblower phenomenon comprehensively.

The research and recommendations follow President Cyril Ramaphosa’s response to the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector on 24 October 2022.

Comments can be emailed to Adv T Nkabinde at [email protected] by no later than Tuesday, 15 August, 2023. Enquiries can be directed to Adv T Nkabinde on 012 406 4768. DM