South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party on Tuesday defended Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for announcing the continued ban of tobacco products during the lockdown.
Dlamini-Zuma, who announced the ban last week following a decision of the national body overlooking the management of the coronavirus pandemic, has come under fire from the country’s tobacco industry for banning the smoking sticks.
One of the industry’s main players, British American Tobacco (BAT) of South Africa, has threatened to file a lawsuit against the government unless the authorities lift the ban by this week.
Hitting back at the criticism of the minister, ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said the attacks on Dlamini-Zuma were “misogynistic and racially-motivated. Singling out the minister was wrong as the decision was taken collectively.”
Mabe said: “When she pronounced the decision, she was doing so after being empowered by law (the disaster management act) and in her capacity as the incumbent minister of this law’s implementation.”
He added: “The National Coronavirus Command Council, which decided on the ban, is made up of various ministers. Therefore, singling out one minister on a decision of a collective is rather unfair.”
On his part, ANC leader and state President Cyril Ramaphosa said Nkosazana- Dlamini was not to blame for the tobacco ban.
This was because her announcement was a collective decision upon strong recommendations from medical experts, including doctors, Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa had initially said tobacco would be sold during level four lockdown, which started on Monday.
But this decision was revoked by the minister’s announcement, leading to anger and frustration from the tobacco industry.
NM/as/APA