South Africa’s Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) has given the government an ultimatum to lift a sales ban of cigarettes or face court action for letting their lucrative business go up in smoke during the 21-day lockdown.
FITA chairperson Sinenhlanhla Mnguni said Wednesday that his association has tried to engage the government several times to discuss the ban but the authorities have given them deaf ears.
“During the period of the lockdown we have attempted to engage government about the reasons as to why cigarettes should be sold, and the tax revenue benefits of allowing the sale of cigarettes would have on the country’s economy,” he said.
Tired of receiving negative responses, Mnguni said FITA is contemplating taking its case to court should the government maintain the ban.
He failure to receive a positive feedback on the request to government to lift the cigarettes sales ban, FITA would go ahead with the planned court challenge to lift the prohibition during the lockdown, he added.
The government has said the lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic was producing positive results, and has extended alcohol and cigarettes bans up to 30 April when the lockdown is scheduled to end.
The pandemic has so far killed 58 people from 3,465 confirmed cases in the country, the health ministry said.
NM/jn/APA