Alcohol draft bill

Why now after all these years?!

The Health department is drafting a bill regarding alcohol advertising in South Africa. The spokesperson of the Department of Health Fidel Hadebe said that the Control of Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages Bill will go through various stages of consultation before it is released for public comment, this in turn will prohibit the advertising and promotion of alcohol products. The government task team is now reworking the bill behind closed doors.



The banning of alcohol adverts-a serious issue. Source:knowledgebase-script.com



The drafting of this legislation to curb advertisements and marketing of alcohol comes after the health ministry sees alcohol as a contributing factor to highway deaths and a murder rate that is one of the highest in the world outside of a war zone.

This is a downturn for media companies as it raises a concern of a loss of revenueof as much as R1.8 million a year. The study, based on interviews by Moerdyk with media houses, found that:

• The ban would cost the SABC about R400-million;
• DStv and e.tv would lose R500-million;
• Radio, lifestyle magazinesand newspapers would lose R900-million;
• A "conservative" estimate was that about 2500 jobs would be lost, depriving about 30000 people of an income;
• Loss in VAT of about R280-million
• The ban would lead to a short-term drop in branded liquor consumption of 5% to 8%



A caution image against alcohol. Source:m-a-d-d.wikispaces.com



Youngsters enjoying a sip. Source: trendgeeks.com

But the question in my mind and I think on everybody's mind is that, why now after so many years? and will this bring about the change they are expecting in our roads and what about the prohibition of persons under the age of 18 who are allowed to consume alcohol without the concern of legislature? Lets debate people shall we...

Famous for no reason- Kim Kardashian

Fame is just the price of hard work or a special talent. That is why we have "celebrities" these are the people who are celebrated for their talents and the entertainment they bring to our lives-it can range from music, acting, sports personalities, radio personalities, television hosts,etc.

...and then there is Kim Kardashian who is famous...for being famous!

Kim Kardashian. Source: justthefab.com

 She first rose to the media scene in 2006 when she was a rebound date of Nick Lachey during his divorce to Jessica Simpson. Her first acting role was in the television series Beyond the Break. She is not the type with humble beginnings though, her dad Robert Kardashian was a power-attorney, her step-father Bruce Jenner is an Olympic athlete. Her priviledged upbringing surrounded her with money and ensured her a certain social status especially when she was friends with Paris Hilton who introduced her to the socialite scene.

In February 2007, a home sex video with then superstar boyfriend Ray-J was leaked. Vivid Entertainment bought the rights for $1 million and released the video as Kim Kardashian: Superstar on February 21. Kim sued Vivid Entertainment for ownership of the tape which in late April saw her dropping the suit and settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million-these are just some of the most controversial stories of her life. She is not just a pretty face with scandals though, she is also an entrepreneur with retail ventures under her name. She co-owns a clothing boutique with her two sisters Kourtney and Khloe. In 2009 she launched an endorsement with ShoeDazzle shopping of which she is co-founder and chief fashion sytlist, she has also released a workout DVD series and her own fragrance product and jewellery with her sisters in 2010.




The family reality show wallpaper. Source: entertainmentwallpaper.com



In October same year along with her two sisters, mother, brother, half-sisters and her step-father starred in the E! reality television series Keeping up with the Kardashians. This reality television series is all about the Kardashian family and their everyday lives, it received an enornomous response from the public which has ultimately made her the famous person she is today.



Kim with her husband at their wedding day. Source: funcrunch.com

Their wedding made front cover news. Source: officialkourtneyk.celebuzz.com



Last year August she married NBA player Kris Humphries and then filled for divorce 72days later. Several news outlets have surmised Kim's marriage to Kris was merely a publicity stunt to promote the Kardashian family's brand and their subsequent television ventures, her former publicist has also revealed that the short-lived wedding was staged and was a ploy to generate money and this has caused a widely circulated petition to remove the programme from air after the split.



Kim with her current rapper boyfriend Kanye West. Source: drfunkenberry.com



Recently she has been spotted with hip-hop artist Kanye West with rumours confirming them as an item. They have both been seen together on numerous occasions and word has it that he might be making a few appearances on the next season of the show as her current boyfriend which according to sources has Kim not so certain about it because of the whole fiasco with soon-to-be-ex-husband Kris Humphries.

Do you think this is just another publicity stunt by Kim Kardashian & family or is this true love in the making?

Just another PR stunt by the ANC?

On Wednesday 5 April, President Jacob Zuma announced at Pretoria that the country's 264 Further Education and Training (FET) colleges will receive R2.5 billion budget boost for refurbishment and the construction of new campuses over the next three years.

gpsa.co.za

The aim of this budget allocation is to improve the role of skills development by colleges to the economic activities of the country. He also emphasized the fact that colleges must improve their performance, absorb more students and increase the number of graduates they produce annually. He also stressed the point that infrastructure development is a crucial role played by the FET colleges including power stations, expanding ports and rail lines, modernising road networks, irrigation systems, schools, hospitals, universities, renewable energy plants, building dams, etc.



warwickchapman.com


He mantained the fact that he wants to give school-leavers, including the disheartened ones- some of whom stand on street corners daily with no hope for the future- to come back to the education and training system and benefit from vocational training.

One may ask though, with such a high number of unemployed youth some of which are graduates- what will happen after they have aquired they qualifications and find no work? According to Bloomberg, South Africa's latest unemployment figures makes the country one with the highest official unemployment statistic among 61. Statistics released by Stats SA marks that the official unemployment figure is now 25%.

Now what puzzles me is that, since this lumpsome of a budget is being allocated-to whose "responsible" hands will it land to? and will this plan to build more campuses actually be achieved considering the corrupt and greedy government officials and their obsession with money? or is this just one of those publicity stunts by the African National Congress (ANC) to make themselves look like they are actually doing something to better the lives of ordinary South Africans? Lets discuss this further shall we...

My President

http://www.guardian.co.uk/



Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma was elected president of the Republic of South Africa by parliament following his party's victory African National Congress (ANC) in the 2009 general election. Zuma has faced a number of allegations before being elected as a president; such as the racketeering and corruption charges with his then financial advisor Schabir Shaik and a rape charge in 2005

 www.pepperexpress.co.za/tag/zapiro







 According to Elena Fuzier Cayla of the Cape Chameon, Zuma is declared the most controversial president in the history of South African politics especially regarding his private life as a polygamist.



http://www.guadian.co.uk/

His reign is dominated with corruption by his cabinet ministers and officials in state departments. In recent years his leadership skills have been critisized for the remarks he made some of them include:

• the gay and lesbian same sex marriage comment he made at the Heritage day celebration on 24 September 2006 in Stanger
• His solution to teenage pregnancy- young girls being forced to get degrees after having babies
• The ANC rulling until the second coming of Jesus
• The sarcastic remarks he made at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton about the Afrikaans community being the only race that did not get a chance to carry two passports-but to name a few

He is now being even more critisized for the way he currently handled the issue of the e-tolling system in Gauteng and a lot of citizens passing grieviences of the ANC not considering the views of the public. This Monday (19 March 2012), the tabloid newspaper Sowetan will be launching a debate about political leardership in South Africa and critically assessing his leadership. This debate will see participation from top commentators and analysts. The public will also be given a chance to contribute their views via email at tellus@sowetan.co.za

What I am interested to know is, do you think Jacob Zuma is a good president? and do you think this debate about his leadership skills will give the ANC good or bad publicity? Let's talk...

Goodbye Juju

The topic on everybody's lips at the moment has to be the expelletion of ANC Youth league president Julius Malema.

The 29 February 2012 saw the disciplinary commitee of the ANC dismissing Julius from his position as ANCYL president due to the fact that he was fomenting divisions and bringing the party into disrepute. Many citizens have found this to be good ridance hence a lot if his comments were propagating racism. Among the accusations he was found guilty of includes; the statements he made at a rally in Kimberley last year May that whites should be treated like criminals for stealing land from blacks, comparing the leadership of current president Jacob Zuma and that of former president Thabo Mbeki and the statements he made about bringing regime in Botswana. Well, it is said that he has 14 days to appeal the decision that was made against him.

 From a PR point of view, the ANC did a great job, their deed of letting him go will get ANC a thumbs up from the general public because a lot of people were very unhappy with him. To be honest he was famous for all the wrong reasons but at the end of the day he made his mark- to a sense that he bought back the youth's attention to politics which was something that was rare nowadays, and yes he did have to go because in the process of his leadership he was also being a bad example to the youth.

Now the question I want to ask though is: do you think the ANC made a good decision by letting him go or will this be the beginning of a never ending war between him and the ANC and its members? Lets discuss this...

Rhino poaching: Who is to blame?

 

It is astonishing to acknowledge the fact that in the 21st century, there are still people from western countries who are firm believers of superstition. According to Kenneth R. Weiss of the Los Angeles Times, 450 rhinos were killed in South Africa, merely for their horns.

Nations like China, Vietnam and Thailand have a belief that rhino horns can cure cancer. It is common knowledge all around the world that Africa is rich in natural resources/treasure and we have a lot of game reserves, which has caused a large demand for rhino horns from Africa and them being killed without any remorse.

Thus these actions have raised a lot of questions and debates as to; who then kills these rhinos? As much as we Africans are raising a plea and campaigns against the killing of our national treasure, we are as much to blame as the westerners. The Chinese may create a demand but they do not really fly down here and kill the rhinos themselves, truth is there are some greedy SA poachers who roam among us and kill these rhinos in exchange for a quick buck from the rich Chinese.

The facts are out there, we can debate amongst each other about this issue the whole day but these rhinos are still being killed out there everyday and there are in a verge of being extinct- question is...

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

Did the SA media go too far?

WAS THE MEDIA UN-AFRICAN ABOUT PUBLISHING THE ILLNESS OF NELSON MANDELA?

When looking back at the oldern days and how Africans used to live and do things, we learn that the illness of somebody was not something to be disclosed in public until it reaches a point of death. Some things were kept private and respected to a certain point

Last year we saw the media splashing the illness of our former president Nelson Mandela in front pages like it was tabloid news. Some were puzzled as to why is the media publishing this information,whereas some felt it was their right to know since he is a public figure and an icon from Africa

Well, times have changed and so has the media. Privacy for public figures has become a thing of the past, but this practice often backfires because they sometimes publish false information and then they get sued. I believe that his illness should not have been published to the public because it was really irrelevent information for us to know, his family needed to deal with this privately and that should have been respected

There are much more serious issues that are affecting our society that the media needs to write about so that the government can attend to and Nelson Mandela's illness is not one of them.