LIVE UPDATES | Tobacco group challenges state’s ban on cigarette sales | Fin24

Subel, for FITA, says health concerns must be addressed through laws, not the Desaster Management Act. 

He adds that uncontrolled and harmful illicit cigarettes sales are now proliferating. He continues to say these may be “even more addictive” than legal cigarettes because of unknown additions.   

Subel now says the real danger now that may increase the burden on the SA health system is smokers being driven to buy illicit products. 

“It’s now an unregulated world,” he says. 

Subel argues that the ‘agenda’ of the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, is to get people to quit smoking. 

He adds that FITA is not arguing that smoking is not harmful, but says the debate at hand is the connection between the Desaster Management Act and the prohibition of the sale of cigarettes. 

Ten weeks after the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products was banned under the nationwide lockdown, the first court case challenging the ban is set to start at the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday morning. 

The case is being brought by the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association, whose members include cigarette makers Carnilinx and Gold Leaf Tobacco.

The association is set to argue that that Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, overstepped her powers in banning the sale of cigarettes, arguing she does not have the authority to pick and choose what items can be banned as a precautionary measure. 

The state, meanwhile, has argued that a sales ban was needed in light of what it says it strong emerging evidence that smoking leads to more severe cases of Covid-19, and the prohibition is necessary to reduce strain on SA’s health system.