Phuza Wize

Launched in March 2010 the Phuza Wize campaign was the central focus of the highly acclaimed television programme, Soul City.

Series 10 which focused on the link between alcohol consumption and violence reached over five million adult South Africans. The campaign is currenly active in two provinces, namely the Northern Cape and the North West and elements of the campaign have been incorporated in the Kwanda programme.

Did you know? A 2011 Analysis of the direct costs of alcohol-related harm done by Debbie Budlender of the Community Agency for Social Enquiry (CASE), found that the state currently spends R17.1 billion on social and health costs as a result of alcohol-related harm. The income from alcohol sales is substantially lower,at Just R16 billion per annum.

View the WHO Global Alcohol Report -South Africa profile (1990 - 2006)

Alcohol and Violence

SA research shows that as a nation we consume alcohol in an unhealthy manner, with high patterns of binge drinking. This gives rise to increased levels of health and social problems including high levels of interpersonal violence.
Substance abuse is an important risk factor with 53% of fatal (Harris & Van Niekerk 2002) and up to 73% of non-fatal (Plüddemann et al. 2004) interpersonal violence injuries testing positive for alcohol in urban areas of South Africa in 2001.
In 2004 the NIMSS recorded six male deaths due to interpersonal violence for every female death (Matzapoulos 2005)

A Soul City Literature Review conducted in 2007 revealed the following data:

Males are more affected by alcohol-related interpersonal violence than females
Young adults (age group)are the most common victims of fatal violence
The most common days for homicide are Saturdays followed by Sundays
More than half of the victims of fatal violence tested positive for alcohol
Race, poverty and social status play a role in escalating cases of alcohol abuse

The Phuza Wize campaign aims to shift the social norms away from excessive alcohol consumption and related violence by promoting non-violent ways of resolving conflict; building the capacity of communities to participate in the monitoring and regulation of alcohol trade; ; popularising the 10 criteria of Safer Social Spaces ; promoting the need for alcohol- free schools and lobbying for legislative change to regulate the sale, marketing and consumption of alcohol.

Objectives of the Phuza Wize Campaign

To reduce violent behaviour by men aged 15-35 by 10% by 2014
To highlight the link between alcohol misuse and new HIV infections; and to reduce these infections.