South African Youth Peaceful Protest
On the 12th of March 2024 the South African Tobacco Free Youth Forum (SATFYF) led a peaceful youth protest outside parliament in Cape Town voicing the South African Youth concerns and grievances about the delay of the public hearings process on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill (2022). The youth members were representatives of different organisations such as South African Tobacco Free Youth Forum (SATFYF), Cancer Association of South African (CANSA), National Council Against Smoking (NCAS), and Youth In Power, Africa Rise (YIPAR).
The youth expressed their disappointment about the postponement of KwaZulu Natal and Northen Cape public hearings by Portfolio Committee on Health. They also delivered a memorandum of demands to the official who works for the office of the speaker of the National Assembly, and he confirmed that it will reach the relevant people within parliament. The youth is demanding answers from the Portfolio Committee on Health about why they have been postponing the KZN hearings since December 2023, because the KZN youth have been eagerly waiting for the Committee to visit KZN as well so they can get the opportunity to voice their opinions about the Tobacco Control Bill. The youth is also demanding that the remaining 2 public hearings which is KZN and Northen Cape must be done before the end of March 2024, because further delays of passing the Tobacco Control Bill is destroying the lives of the SA youth as more younger people are getting addicted and dying as a result of using these deadly tobacco products.
The passing of the Tobacco Control Bill is crucial in protecting the SA youth from increasing their risks of getting tobacco related diseases such as cancer.
#StopStallingSaveLives #PassTheTCBill #CancerFreeSociety
