South Africa: Tobacco industry to fight cigarette ban

The tobacco industry in South Africa is threatening to take legal action after the government announced it would continue its ban on cigarette sales even after lockdown measures for the coronavirus are eased on Friday.

The government said that as of last night more than 2,000 people had signed a petition calling for the ban to remain in place.

The Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association, which is spearheading the lawsuit against the government, said that over 270,000 South Africans signed a rival petition opposing the ban. 

The disagreement began when the government announced a ban on the sale of cigarettes with one day’s notice, coming into effect at midnight on 26th March and leaving smokers just 24hrs to stock up.

The smokers’ petition describes this short notice as unfair and spiteful, arguing that withdrawing from nicotine can have serious negative side-effects, including depression, stress and anxiety. 

Advocates for lifting the ban also argue that it would stimulate the economy and generate money for the state through taxation on cigarette sales.

It is estimated that the state is losing $55m a month on average in tax revenue because of the ban.

However, the government says it rescinded its promise to lift the ban on health reasons, citing their concern that people sharing cigarettes would cause a heightened risk of spreading coronavirus. 

South Africa has more than 5,000 Covid-19 cases and has suffered 103 deaths. 

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