The fight to lift the ban on cigarettes and other tobacco products is continuing.
This is after the Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) announced today that they will be appealing the decision taken by the Pretoria High court last week to allow the prohibition of tobacco to remain in force.
“Earlier today we filed our application for leave to appeal the ruling of the Pretoria High Court on 26 June 2020 dismissing our application to have the ban on the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products during the lockdown period lifted,” said the organisation on their twitter page.
Their argument was that tobacco products are addictive and should be declared essential, an argument that the High Court found had no merit and therefore dismissed with costs.
But Fita said the ruling was riddled with legal and factual errors and were, therefore, trying to appeal on an urgent basis, stating the ban is neither rational nor necessary in the fight against C0VID-19 infections and death.
“We will keep the public updated on any further developments in relation to this matter. We thank you all once again for your support throughout,” said the organisation.
South Africa is currently the only country in the world with a cigarette sale ban in place.
