Anger in S Africa as government reneges on sale of cigarettes during lockdown

Smokers in South Africa are livid after the government reneged on an earlier announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the sale of the cigarettes will be allowed from May 1 as the country moved down to level four of a new five-level strategy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sale of cigarettes was prohibited during the extended 35-day national lockdown that ended on April 30.

The South African government said the decision to not allow the sale of cigarettes was taken after receiving comments from over 2,000 citizens.

"This was promoted by more than 2,000 public comments saying that they were opposed to the sale of cigarettes during the level 4 lockdown. We are a government that is responsive to people, even if it takes a decision and people say they don't like that decision," Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said.

"I don't think you can say the measures we are taking to save people's lives are draconian, she said.

The minister also expressed concern that the manner in which cigarettes were shared by often being passed around between smokers was not compliant with social distancing requirements, as it promoted the spread of the virus.

South Africa has so far reported 6,336 cases of coronavirus with 123 deaths, according to wrorldometer.

The continued prohibition came amid strong advice against it from economists and industry lobby groups because of the huge loss in excise duty from the sale of tobacco products.

"The ill-thought prohibition of cigarettes is impoverishing the nation, enriching criminals and destroying the public's faith in the lockdown, said Tax Justice SA founder Yusuf Abramjee.

"The Government is throwing away 35 million Rands every day in taxes at a time when its citizens are starving.Meanwhile, criminals are pocketing that money by luring South Africa's 11 million smokers to the black market," Abramjee said.

He said this is life-endangering economic sabotage that hands trade to the organised syndicates.

"Illicit cigarettes are flooding the market at massively inflated prices, delivering no tax to the country and actively increasing the movement of people the very thing the lockdown is supposed to prevent," Abramjee said.

The changed stance on tobacco sales overshadowed other major concessions during the level 4 lockdown.

Citizens may now leave their homes for exercise, including cycling, in a radius of less than five kilometres from their homes, provided they have masks on at all times.

Gyms are still not allowed to open.

People who have been stranded in other provinces and could not return home or to their employment in their hometowns since the lockdown started have been granted a one-off concession to travel.