The Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) is hell bent on having the cigarette sale ban lifted.
This after, the Hight Court in Pretoria rejected their application to appeal.
Sinenhlanhla Mnguni said Fita would now take the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
He said the organisation had anticipated the defeat.
“We have always had it in mind that this may be an eventuality… so we were prepared to take the next step, which is what we are going to do now, [namely] petitioning the Supreme Court of Appeal for the same relief,” he said.
The High Court found that Fita had not shown concrete reasons why an appeal should be heard
“It is acknowledged in the judgment that, although no study as yet exists demonstrating a conclusive link between smoking and Covid-19 progression, the studies and literature considered by the minister nonetheless provided her with a basis to demonstrate a rational basis between smoking and Covid-19 progression to justify the means adopted by her, namely, the ban,” reads the judgment.
Meanwhile British American Tobacco SA will make their case in August. It’s been reported that local cigarettes now cost R80 a pack, while the International brands go for R150 a pack and R1500 a carton on the black market.
South Africa is the only country in the world to have banned the selling of tobacco products in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
