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In an effort to further call attention to the alarming rates of NCDs such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and some cancers -- which are caused by the excess consumption of sugary drinks -- the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) picketed outside of Parliament on the day of the Budget Speech where they demanded an increase in the HPL, also known as the sugary drinks tax, from 11% to 20%, as well as the inclusion of 100% fruit juices to the tax for the health of South Africans.

HEALA and the broader civil society demanded that the government acknowledge that the country is facing a crisis where NCDs’s account for more than half of deaths in the country according to Statistics South Africa. The National Treasury failed to come out and receive the memorandum.

“We will continue to engage the standing committee on finance as well as National Treasury to enquire about their failure to come out and receive the memorandum. The biggest disappointment is that the Treasury and standing committee have not acknowledged, in the form of a letter or a meeting proposal, the efforts to engage on the sugary drinks tax by civil society.

“Furthermore, civil society is extremely disappointed in the minister’s failure to announce an increase on HPL or the expansion of sugary drinks tax to include 100% fruit juices. The failure to implement a stronger sugary drinks tax undermines national collective efforts to urgently address NCD-related morbidity and mortality in South Africa,” said Lawrence Mbalati, HEALA’s programme manager.

The South African government has missed the opportunity to make this tax more effective by discouraging the consumption of all sugar-sweetened beverages. Research has linked the consumption of excessive sugar, trans-fats and salt through unhealthy food and beverages, to increasing rates of NCDs globally. Civil society demands that the government, treasury and the finance minister take the necessary steps to ensure that the unhealthy food and beverage industry be held accountable for their products through an increase in taxes.

Part of civil society’s call is that the sugary drinks tax be expanded to include fruit juices. Although fruit juices have been punted as a healthier and even superior alternative to fizzy and energy drinks - that is not the case. Fruit juices are often marketed as healthier alternatives for children, putting this vulnerable population at risk of consuming heavy and dangerous amounts of sugar. There is an average of 6 and a half teaspoons of sugar in a 250ml glass of 100% fruit juice which is in the range of some cooldrinks. This means that fruit juice, even if labelled as 100%, can have the same or possibly even more detrimental results as a can of cooldrink.

When evaluating the long term consumption of sugary drinks including 100% fruit juices, increased daily fruit juice consumption was associated with a 15% higher risk of diabetes prevalence.

“The sugar industry has been using HPL for cheap politicking, emotional blackmail and profiteering at the expense of people’s life. This is through making baseless and untested public statements on job and revenue losses due to implementation of the HPL. The economy of South Africa is struggling and job losses across all sectors have been felt. The sugar industry has failed to provide proof that job losses in the sector is entirely due to HPL and not other factors. Civil society challenges the sugary industry to provide proof of job losses due to HPL at NEDLAC and stop holding our health at ransom,” said Mbalati.

Issued by The Healthy Living Alliance