Alcohol and substance abuse affects communities across the world and the risks associated with them are well documented. The scourge of alcohol, drug and substance abuse knows no bounds and cuts across race, class and social barriers.  

In August 2023, Norman Sekhukhune, the head of police crime research and statistics, told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police that 31 police officers were killed between April and June 2023. This was almost double the number of officers killed by criminals during the same period in 2022.

As the world goes digital, and an interconnected global society emerges, the need for bridging the digital divide in South Africa has become more pressing.

Every day our country’s socio-economic landscape is changing for the better with government’s dedicated investments in social infrastructure. We have been on a journey of expanding our social infrastructure for the benefit of all citizens.

The world has come a long way since we first heard of HIV and Aids in the early eighties when the mysterious new disease emerged which quickly spread across the globe. It claimed many lives and became the leading cause of death in many areas.

Our constitutional democracy is founded on the principle of giving citizens a say on who should govern them. The constitutional right to vote takes place through regular elections where people elect their counsellor, mayor and even president.

Circumcision, which involves the surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis, is practised worldwide for religious and traditional rites, as well as for health reasons.

Bridges are more than crossings – they connect people and communities and multiply the potential for growth by expanding access to social economic and cultural opportunities.  

The launch of the Lufhereng Social Housing Project in Soweto last year gave effect to the promise of the Freedom Charter on housing. The Charter, which was drafted in 1955, states that “all people shall have the right to live where they choose, be decently housed, and to bring up their families in comfort and security”.

Our 30 Years of Freedom is a stark reminder of South Africa’s history of racial discrimination and segregation was reinforced by all the pre 1994 laws and policies – which included it provision of health services. The segregation of health services was used to further disempower the black majority population.