In response to the 2012 Budget Speech, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) CEO, Sue Janse van Rensburg, said that, “CANSA is appreciative of the fact that the 2012 budget addresses inequalities and poverty in the form of personal tax relief. This will hopefully make it affordable for more people to adopt a healthier lifestyle.”

Janse van Rensburg further noted that a significant amount was allocated to improve health infrastructure. She said that, “CANSA is optimistic that the upgrading of tertiary academic hospitals and 30 nursing colleges will definitely help to improve health service delivery to the South African public.”

According to her, CANSA is concerned about the fact that no specific mention was made regarding allocation of funds towards a very costly upgrade of the Cancer Registry, nor towards further costly  implementation of an infrastructure to facilitate the recent regulation that makes it compulsory for health service providers to report all new cancer cases.

Janse van Rensburg concluded by saying, “Although CANSA agrees with the National Council Against Smoking’s statement that South Africa’s current tobacco excise duties of 52 percent should be increased significantly (the World Health Organisation recommends that excise taxes should be at least 70 percent of the retail price), we are grateful for the proposed increase in excise duty on tobacco and alcohol, as these are two major contributing factors to various life-threatening cancers.”

Sue Janse van Rensburg
Chief Executive Officer
Cancer Association of South Africa