Dti takes educational campaign to Limpopo

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Pretoria - The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) will today host a five-day policy and legislation education and awareness campaign in Limpopo.

The campaign seeks to educate communities in the province about a variety of legislation that affect the country’s citizens. The legislation in the spotlight are: the Liquor, National Gambling, Lotteries Amendment, National Credit, Consumer Protection, Copyright, Performers Protection, and Companies Acts.

“During the public consultations on the Liquor and Gambling Amendment Bills that the dti conducted throughout the country last year, it became evident that many members of the public were not well-informed about their rights and responsibilities,” said Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies.

Minister Davies added that it is against this background that the department took a decision to roll out another campaign that will not focus only on liquor and gambling laws but also on other laws that have an impact on the citizens of South Africa.

“This campaign will raise awareness amongst members of the public on various legislation that government has put in place to protect them and to assist them deal with a variety of challenges that affect them,” said Minister Davies.

The campaign will cover the towns of Tshakhuma, Tzaneen, Ga-Masemola and Polokwane from 20-24 June 2017.

The campaign will educate the public about the socio economic impact of alcohol abuse, legal and illegal gambling activities, as well as debt relief measures to reduce the impact of high levels of over-indebtedness for certain over-indebted households in adverse economic circumstances, among others.

The communities of Limpopo will also learn about simplified business registration processes, the reduction of red tape and enhancement of company transparency, as well as amendments to the national lotteries legislation. 

Global Conference of the 10YPF

Meanwhile, the dti will host the first Global Conference of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production patterns (10YFP).

The conference, which is steered under the theme “Sustainable Food Systems for all – Catalysing Change through Multi-Stakeholder Action”, aims to promote national, regional and international cooperation that accelerates the shift towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in developed and developing countries.

Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Bulelani Magwanishe said the conference which will begin on Wednesday at the Sierra Burgers Park Hotel in Pretoria is rooted in two of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

These are Goal 2: Zero Hunger which is about of ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture; and Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production which is about ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.

“The conference will provide a platform for the sharing of information and knowledge among key stakeholders from across the globe, with the aim of creating new synergies and exploring opportunities for collective action on food system transformation,” said Deputy Minister Magwanishe.

The Deputy Minister added that the Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) Programme members will also be afforded an opportunity to present their contributions towards the implementation of the programme. They will also liaise with each other and strengthen synergies and collaboration. 

The Deputy Minister will deliver an address on the final day of the conference on Friday.

The conference will be a forum for match-making, allowing participants to join a collaborative community of practice and to identify opportunities, as well as allies to address the pressing challenges in the planet’s food systems.

Further information on SCP can be accessed on: http://www.scpclearinghouse.org/ .-SAnews.gov.za