The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) is calling on communities to “celebrate Christmas” responsibly and to obey road rules.
SANCO National Spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu on Sunday said: “As we celebrate the end of another eventful year … let us do so responsibly”.
Mahlangu called on communities to celebrate the season of peace and goodwill by “sharing” with the poor, orphans, widows and elderly.
“We should pray for the nation and ensure that the vulnerable in our society, women, children and the aged are protected against abuse including opportunistic crime as well as intensify the offensive against poverty, unemployment, and inequality,” said Mahlangu.
Meanwhile, the South African Breweries (SAB) said it has established a “Smart Drinking Squad” who have taken to the streets to educate retailers and community members on responsible alcohol consumption and behavior.
“The Smart Drinking Squad is made up of 100 previously unemployed individuals from local communities in which SAB operates. The campaign will run nationally from December and target licensed tavern owners, their patrons, and local communities,” SAB explained this week.
Squad members discourage harmful use of alcohol through awareness campaigns and programmes that teach responsible trading of liquor.
“The squad will visit retailers educating them on the 8 responsible trading principles which include: Trading responsibly in a way that will not cause harm to customers and the community, not serving alcohol to pregnant women and not serving alcohol to persons under the age of 18,” said SAB.
Nirishi Trikamjee, Corporate Affairs Director, SAB and AB InBev, said “In a country where misuse of alcohol is prevalent, the need for interventions aimed at addressing this habit is pressing. SAB is investing in science-based programmes to advance positive social behavior change and address harm reduction head-on.”
Drink driving is a major cause of road deaths in South Africa. Last year the Road Traffic Management Corporation said figures for January to December 2016 shows that 14,071 people died on South Africa’s roads – a nine percent increase from the previous year.
– African News Agency
