Latest news with #Twala
The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
New 2025 SASSA verification process starts this WEEK
Here's all you need to know about the agency's new 2025 SASSA verification process. As we covered last month, the agency is being forced to tighten its belt in 2025 by government. The finance minister was going to raise VAT to keep South Africa's social welfare bill in check. However, this was overturned in the High Court. And since then, new measures like the 2025 SASSA verification process have come into being. This is despite a ruling back in January that SASSA cannot legally turn applicants away purely on the grounds of budgetary constraints. To get monthly cash in your wallet, you'll need to pass SASSA's latest verification process. Image: File Judge Twala ruled it unconstitutional that South African Social Security Agency grant applicants living below the poverty line be turned away simply because there was insufficient money to pay them each month. Now, the Department of Social Development (DSD) and National Development Agency are updating the 2025 SASSA verification process like so … According to a post on SASSA's social media channels, starting from Saturday 7 June 2025, all new applicants will have to complete the 2025 SASSA verification process for R370 SRD grants. This involves taking a digital photo of yourself with a smartphone. Handling SASSA grants in-person are slowing becoming a thing of the past. Image: File Furthermore, the release from the agency urges applicants to visit THIS website and have their smart ID card (and smartphone) ready. Unfortunately, applicants with the old 'green mamba' ID booklet will not pass the online verification process. The biometric portion of the 2025 SASSA verification process is to secure digital data of all grant recipients on file for safety reasons. And if there is no digital photo of you, you won't pass. In the past, the agency has said biometric verification makes the grant system safer from fraud, corruption and identity theft. Unfortunately, civil society groups are quite rightly questioning the practicality behind it. How are SASSA SRD applicants living below the poverty line supposed to have access to a smart phone with internet access and a smart ID card? Many argue the 2025 SASSA verification process goes against the findings of Twala's High Court ruling earlier in the year, to which SASSA has taken leave to appeal … Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
CANSA condemns vaping industry for luring South African youth
The Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) called out the tobacco industry for deliberately marketing vaping products to teenagers and younger children to mark World No Tobacco Day on May 31. On May 30, the organisation will walk with SA youth to draw attention to this alarming trend. This year's World No Tobacco Day theme is 'Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing the Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products'. It's about revealing how the tobacco and nicotine industries make their harmful products seem attractive, particularly to young people, through manipulative marketing, appealing flavours and deceptive product designs. Cansa, in collaboration with the South African Tobacco Free Youth Forum (SATFYF), will host youth-led walks in Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg to bring attention to the big tobacco companies purposeful marketing of their products to youngsters. The walks will be from 09:00 to noon on the day, and young people are encouraged to participate. To do so, email mdlamini@ ALSO READ: Bishop Twala shares life lessons in debut book After the walking events, Cansa and the SATFYF will submit a memorandum of demands to parliament demonstrating support for the formulation of the Tobacco Control Bill. The organisations will urge the Portfolio Committee on Health to continue prioritising the nation's health and expedite the passage of the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. They will also emphasise that delays will lead to increased recruitment of young people by the tobacco industry, resulting in higher rates of nicotine addiction and tobacco-related illnesses, including cancer. Lesego Mateme, the project co-ordinator at the SATFYF, said, 'In Johannesburg, we will walk to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa to submit a memorandum to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco-related products. 'In particular, we want to highlight the harmful consequences of allowing the subliminal advertising and promotion of these products through broadcast channels. 'Such promotions often glamorise the use of vapes and hubbly bubblies, associating them with a luxurious lifestyle and success, which misleads the public, especially young people, about the risks involved.' Cansa warns young people and their parents, guardians and teachers that vaping is not a safe option. Minenhle Dlamini, Cansa's tobacco control programme co-ordinator and social worker, added, 'Despite claims that vaping is a 'harmless alternative' to smoking, there is ever-increasing evidence of serious health risks. These risks include nicotine addiction, lung damage and the increased likelihood of moving onto traditional tobacco products. 'A new generation of nicotine-dependent individuals is being created with seemingly innocent flavoured vapes and sleek, tech-inspired designs targeting young consumers.' The problem in SA • A 2023 study found that 16.83% of the 25 149 SA high school learners (grades Eight to 12) from 52 schools surveyed used vaping products, while 36.71% reported having used vaping products. The odds of vaping increased by grade, but did not depend on how wealthy the school was; Of those learners who vaped, 47% did so within the first hour of waking, suggesting high nicotine addiction; ALSO READ: WATCH: Tragedy strikes as family of six perishes in shack fire, seven-year-old sole survivor • SA's current tobacco control policies do not effectively regulate vaping, allowing the industry to exploit legal loopholes; • Nicotine addiction among adolescents has been linked to cognitive impairment, increased anxiety and an increased risk of developing smoking-related diseases later in life; • Vape shops and online retailers often fail to verify age, making access easy for underage users. The SATFYF's 2023 Big Tobacco Tiny Target SA study revealed that tobacco products are purposefully sold, displayed and marketed to attract children. Big Tobacco, Tiny Targets is a global campaign that monitors the tobacco industry marketing that targets young people by observing the advertising of tobacco and nicotine products (TNPs) near primary and secondary schools. The 2023 study observed 409 TNP points of sale within a 300m radius of primary and secondary schools in the cities of Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Stellenbosch. Almost half, or 45.2% of the points of sale, were spaza shops and small grocery stores. The findings revealed that most (92.2%) of the points of sale sold cigarettes, and 68.2% of them displayed these products at children's eye level. Cansa's proposed solutions • Stronger regulations: Cansa calls for fast-tracking the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill to ban child-friendly flavours, impose strict advertising controls and enforce age verification for all tobacco-related product purchases; • Education and awareness: Schools, parents and community leaders must launch comprehensive anti-vaping campaigns to teach youngsters about the hidden dangers of vaping, including its impact on brain development; • Social media accountability: Implement stricter regulations on paid influencer promotions to prevent deceptive marketing tactics. • Holding tobacco companies accountable: Cansa supports higher taxation on vaping products to curb affordability and discourage youth uptake; • Access to cessation support: Government and health organisations must provide accessible nicotine addiction treatment and counselling services for young people who want to quit. Cansa offers a free online smoking cessation programme that provides guidance, mentorship and practical tools to help smokers quit for good. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
ASWCS provides 30 young Alexandrans skills to succeed as entrepreneurs
Agrigreat Soiltech Waste Conversion Site (ASWCS) in Alexandra hosted 30 young people from the community for a skills training session on May 8. These are young people participating in Project YDE Lumen30, an initiative that is focused on youth empowerment through skills development and training in the renewable energy sector. ASWCS's Buyiswa Twala said, as part of their training, the YED Lumen30 trainees were introduced to entrepreneurship. She added that, as a result, the director of Unnati Training Academy, Devaksha Maharaj, arranged for the trainees to spend a few hours at the ASWCS in Alexandra. This allowed ASWCS to share skills and tips with the students on how to build a successful eco-business. Read more: Alex entrepreneurs defy unemployment against all odds Twala said they shared their expertise on circular economy, waste conversion, and sustainable entrepreneurship. Furthermore, she gave trainees insight on working on a minimal budget, scaling, and how to secure partnerships. When giving trainees insights about scaling, she emphasised the importance of a clearly mapped out plan. 'You need to do your research and map out exactly where it is that you need to go. So that you can approach the necessary partners you will need in order to scale up or replicate.' Also read: Resolute entrepreneurs fast-food franchise in Alex The training had a significant impact on students participating in the project, including Neo Pele and Damaris Maenetja. Pele, who dreams of running his own renewable energy business, said that the visit was eye-opening. 'I could see business opportunities for my future solar and water treatment business.' Maenetja found the visit inspiring. She noted that it inspired her to consider following her passion of running her own non-profit organisation. The training empowered young people with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in sustainable entrepreneurship. Twala shared their plan to maximise their impact as a waste conversion site. She noted that they are building the Agrigreat Soiltech Waste Conversion Centre, which aims to replicate the work that they have done in Alexandra but on a national scale. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: Young innovators empowered through Absa and the Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurships I Grew It campaign At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Daily Maverick
24-04-2025
- General
- Daily Maverick
Stipends for sustenance – young change-makers go the extra mile to feed hope in Alex
Armed with a desire to alleviate poverty and food insecurity in Alexandra, Johannesburg, and a R4,000 stipend, husband-and-wife duo Gcina Twala and Thato Mokwebo started the Ntsika Ye Sizwesethu soup kitchen to give back to the community that raised them. 'We were born and bred in Alex. We see the struggle in Alex. There are people right now, as we speak, when you walk into their households, the food in the fridge is rotting because of electricity issues, or there is nothing at all. It's really devastating. I don't even have the words to explain the things we have seen, but for us, this is about making sure we fill that gap.' The township of Alexandra has long been a symbol of South Africa's socioeconomic inequalities, inundated with deep poverty, unemployment and food insecurity, despite its close proximity to Africa's wealthiest square mile, Sandton. On a chilly Tuesday morning, 22 April, husband-and-wife duo Gcina Twala (22) and Thato Mokwebo (25), with a handful of volunteers, gathered in a dimly lit room next to the main building of a local church in the heart of one of Johannesburg's most densely populated townships. In this room, the Ntsika Ye Sizwesethu soup kitchen hums with purpose: to address food insecurity in the community where they grew up. Twala and Mokwebo started Ntsika Ye Sizwesethu in 2022, armed with a small, but not insignificant stipend from a youth unemployment programme and a dream of addressing poverty in the area. 'When we first started our soup kitchen, we were both onboarded on to the YES programme and the stipend was only R4,000. Unlike some of our peers, we decided that we were going to use the stipend not only to cater for our needs, but also to make an impact within our community. That is what we used in order to get vegetables and get the kitchen running,' Twala said. With that, the feeding scheme was born. Their mothers donated kitchenware, siblings pitched in with gas cylinders and neighbours offered whatever vegetables they could spare. 'At the beginning, we did look crazy – people were saying, 'This is not normal. You guys are earning this much and you want to feed the whole of Alexandra. How are you going to do it?' It didn't make sense to them. It was difficult, but it was something we chose to do because we knew it would bring attention to the cause itself and the need that was there,' Mokwebo chimed in. Dreams of expansion When they launched the foundation, Twala was only 19 and Mokwebo 22, but the desire to give back to the community was instilled in them from a young age, both being born to philanthropic parents. 'It was really difficult because not only did the stipend have to cater for that, but we were also new parents at that time. Figuring out how we were going to do that and then have the soup kitchen as well was not easy. But we kept on going because we believed that it was definitely going to pay off.' What started as a weekly soup kitchen is now a fully fledged weekly feeding scheme, a lifeline for many people in the area. Operating every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the kitchen now feeds hundreds of Alex residents both breakfast and lunch. Twala said that on a weekly basis, the operation costs around R1,500 (R6,000 per month) – money that isn't always easy to come by. In the beginning phases, Ntsika Ye Sizwesethu was assisted by Ladles of Love, an NPO focusing on food insecurity, which supplied a portion of the vegetables. But the couple said the organisation lost some of its government funding, meaning Ladles of Love could no longer support their organisation. They currently rely on a portion of Twala's salary, donations from informal partners and volunteers to keep the kitchen running. The pair also ventured into agriculture and established the Ntsika Ye Sizwesethu Food Garden. Supported by Coca-Cola and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Twala and Mokwebo built a 30×10 greenhouse and also invested in hydroponic farming. The goal is to create a self-sustaining system in which the pair can sell produce to fund the soup kitchen and other initiatives under their nonprofit. While Ntsika Ye Sizwesethu operates only in Alex at the moment, the couple has ambitions to expand the operation across Gauteng and even the country. What sets Twala and Mokwebo's story apart isn't just the act of giving, but who is doing the giving. In a country where youth unemployment hovers around 45%, Gcina and Thato chose to defy the odds. Rather than being defined by their limitations, they leaned into a culture of care learned from their families. Both were raised by parents and grandparents who practised community philanthropy. 'We grew up seeing what it means to serve,' says Gcina. 'Now we're doing the same – and showing our daughter that it's not just about you in this world.' DM
