NATIONAL NEWS - Clear your diary for an hour this coming Tuesday 7 July.
PSG is kicking off their free webinar series, Think BIG, with Jacques Pauw, investigative journalist and author of The President’s Keepers, between 09:00 and 10:00 on Tuesday morning.
Pauw takes a closer look at what exactly is going on in the tobacco industry. He will expand on how tobacco sales are continuing to flourish and is set to reveal all sorts of unhealthy detail behind this highly profitable industry.
Fita wants to appeal
The Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) this morning (Friday 3 July) requested leave to appeal the Pretoria High Court ruling that left them with a bloody nose when their attempt to have the cigarette and tobacco sales ban lifted failed last month. British American Tobacco will only get their day in court in August after the recent shock-postponement of their case against the ban.
Most South African smokers and non-smokers alike continue to be stupefied by the government's blanket ban of all tobacco products during lockdown. President Cyril Ramaphosa added to the confusion on Wednesday evening when he said cigarettes won't be banned forever.
Up until the president's "reassurance", South Africans had never even considered the possibility that the ban may be permanent.
Burning money
Meanwhile smokers continue to pay in excess of R65 for a packet of 20 dodgy, illegal cigarettes that are very often manufactured in Zimbabwe or Mozambique and that normally sell for just R15 on the black market. Legally manufactured cigarettes that go through specific safety protocols (if safety and cigarettes can be used in the same breath...) are as scarce as hens teeth and selling for up to R230 a packet. The maximum, legal retail price for an expensive brand like Camel Blue is R50.
Free virtual seat
To book your free, virtual seat to hear what Pauw has to say about this baffling ban and the industry in general, sign up here.
The host of the series is Bruce Whitfield, whose award-winning style of journalism allows him to generate fascinating discussions. “It’s not every day you get one-on-one time with some of the most remarkable people in their fields. I feel privileged to be tapping into some of the country’s sharpest minds,” says Whitfield.
Tracy Hirst, PSG’s chief marketing officer, says it’s time to think big and to look beyond the moment, to look for solutions, and to plan for possibilities.
“To do this requires a clear eye, the right information and expert advice,” says Hirst. “We’ve gathered a collection of bigger picture thinkers to help unpack the future. We’ve created a series of unusual dialogues to bring you thought leadership from thought leaders and PSG executives.”
July line-up
Tune in to the July line-up every Tuesday between 09:00 and 10:00.
Pauw is followed by Guy Leitch, editor of SA Flyer, who takes a look at where air travel might be going and what needs to be fixed to get it there. Always a favourite with the public, ex-Springbok coach Nick Mallett features in the third webinar, discussing the future of rugby in a post-COVID 19 world.
The fourth webinar in the series features Herman Mashaba, who discusses his time as Mayor of Johannesburg and why he decided to step down, as well as his new book, The Accidental Mayor, and his new political party, The People’s Dialogue.
Finally, in the current line-up (as the August schedule is still to come), Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, joins the series to talk about the role of leadership in mitigating inequalities in higher education.
All the episodes in the Think BIG webinar series can be booked here.
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