Since last March 27, that is to say at the same time as the start of confinement in South Africa, a ban on the sale of cigarettes has entered into force in the country. Today it is a real trench warfare which is engaged between the tobacco industry, the South African state and consumers.
THE PROHIBITION OF TOBACCO IN SOUTH AFRICA… HARD TO SWALLOW FOR BIG TOBACCO!
South African justice opened on Wednesday the very controversial case of the ban on the sale of tobacco imposed for ten weeks by the authorities as part of their measures against the coronavirus pandemic. The lawyer for a group of producers launched hostilities in a first hearing before the High Court in the capital Pretoria, demanding the outright annulment of the government measure.
«It is difficult to imagine a more draconian measure than this total prohibition, which shut down an entire industry (...) and caused so much harm"Pleaded Arnold subel for the Independent and Fair Tobacco Association (FITA). "There is no fact in the file that can justifySuch a decision, he added.
The ban on the sale of cigarettes came into effect on March 27 at the same time as the strict confinement imposed on 57 million South Africans to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the country. This decision immediately aroused the rebellion of smokers, industrialists and traders in the sector, who vainly negotiated the resumption of their activities.
By relaxing the containment measures, the president Cyril Ramaphosa from June 1 lifted the ban on alcohol sales, but maintained the ban on cigarettes "due to health risks from smoking».
«It's an act of cruelty, people are desperate“, Launched Wednesday lawyer Subel at the bar. "This is a smuggler's paradise", He insisted,"they can charge the prices they want, mix their products with what they want, make them more addicting».
The ban has already cost more than 300 million rand (15 million euros) in taxes to the state budget, according to the tax boss, Edward Kieswetter. More than 600.000 South Africans have signed a petition for the end of prohibition and number 1 in the South African market, the local subsidiary of the giant British American Tobacco, also filed a complaint against the government.
Source : lefigaro.fr
