In South Africa, the tobacco lobby is gaining ground

The situation in South Africa has deteriorated in terms of combating the influence of the tobacco lobby, according to the latest Global Tobacco Industry Interference Report. The latest edition highlights failures by government officials, a lack of transparency in industry-government interactions, and the continuation of corporate social responsibility activities.[1].

The Tobacco Industry Interference Index aims to assess the degree of tobacco industry interference in dozens of countries around the world, all of which are Parties to the WHO's international treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The index also seeks to analyze the ability of governments to implement good governance practices to protect themselves from the influence of the tobacco industry.

A problematic proximity between decision-makers and the tobacco industry lobby

The report denounces the existence of unnecessary relationships between members of government and the tobacco industry. These relationships are, for the authors of the index, all the more problematic because the existence of these meetings with tobacco companies is not made public, and the minutes are not accessible to the public. For Dr. Mary Assunta, head of global research and advocacy at the Global Governance Center for Tobacco Control (GGTC), the recording and publicization of all interactions between policymakers and the industry must be systematized to put an end to tobacco interference.

Social responsibility activities to gain influence in South Africa

Part of the tobacco industry’s influence in South Africa is due to corporate social responsibility activities. While the current law prohibits CSR activities for manufacturers, it does allow the tobacco industry to make charitable donations, provided that these are not advertised. The report’s authors say this exception is a loophole and must be removed. Similarly, over the past year, several South African government departments have partnered with NGOs funded by the tobacco industry. The report’s authors say these situations are the result of strategies put in place by manufacturers with the aim of infiltrating decision-making circles, institutions, and neutralizing public health policies.

The need for a paradigm shift

According to Prof. Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf, Director of the Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research Centre, tobacco companies still enjoy unfair advantages because tobacco is still seen primarily as an economic issue and not a health issue. However, the role of the industry in the national economy is largely overestimated by manufacturers. In reality, due to the environmental cost of its production and the health cost of its consumption, tobacco is a real burden on public finances.

Combating illegal practices of the manufacturers' lobby in South Africa

Finally, the report also highlights the need to address the illegal practices of the tobacco industry. In particular, the authors call for an investigation into the accusations against British American Tobacco suspected of illegal surveillance and spying, corruption of officials and decision-makers. Furthermore, given the role of manufacturers in organizing and facilitating illicit trade, and the scale of the phenomenon in South Africa, Prof. Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf stresses the need for South Africa to ratify the World Health Organization Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, with, in particular, the establishment of a tracking and tracing system that is fully independent of manufacturers.

FT

[1] Tobacco Industry Interference Index, South Africa 2021, September 2021, (accessed 09/28/21)