Teenagers protest to force SARS to remove tax from sanitary products

Johannesburg teenagers staged a peaceful protest outside the South African Revenue Services in Johannesburg demanding sanitary wear should be tax-free.

The #BecauseWeBleed Movement was founded by matric learners, Alexandra Fletcher and Chloé Maluleke, to address the endemic issue of sanitary products in South Africa.

Their protest was to show their public discontent at the fact that sanitary products are taxed and to push for the National Treasury to make sanitary products zero-tax rated in South Africa.

The teenagers sat outside the offices on Rissik Street singing and chanting with their placards to demonstrate their plight and even submitted a memorandum with demands.

Read: Women’s Month: Lack of sanitary pads keeps girls out of school

In the memorandum, the teenagers said, they do understand that making these items zero-tax rated may not have a drastic difference or allow for more of the impoverished population to access them. Maluleke, however, said it is a step closer in building a foundation where female sanitation and hygiene is taken seriously. She said, through this peaceful protest, they hope that in future production, free sanitary pads will become a reality.

According to these teenagers, it has been seven years since former President Jacob Zuma announced that free sanitary products would be provided for girls who cannot afford them.

“This has since been implemented, however, not enough have been provided free of charge in schools,” said Maluleke.

“The continuation of taxing these items shows a complete disregard for the basic needs of South African females. Having a period has now become a luxury that middle and upper-class woman can afford to have, whereas the greater majority of women are marginalised.”

The teenagers are demanding that the Treasury remove VAT from sanitary wear, especially sanitary pads and tampons, classifying them as zero-rated basic necessities. The teenagers also demand that SARS formally acknowledge that tampons and pads are basic necessities. “There has been a stigma which continues to be perpetuated by SARS that sanitary items are not necessities but luxuries. This narrative needs to be changed,” said the teenagers.

Read: Shoprite introduces VAT-free sanitary pad subsidy

SARS officials who received the memorandum did not wish to comment and requested that their names also not to be published.

The youngsters said if they fail to respond to their demands by 30 October, they will mobilise other teenagers across Gauteng to intensify their movement.

Details: Chloé Maluleke chloeshiluva@gmail.com

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