High court grants Dlamini-Zuma leave to appeal adverse ruling on tobacco ban
1 Mar 2021
The high court in Cape Town on Monday granted Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma leave to appeal its December ruling that found the five-month ban on tobacco sales the state imposed last year unconstitutional and invalid. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The high court in Cape Town on Monday granted Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma leave to appeal its December ruling that found the five-month ban on tobacco sales the state imposed last year unconstitutional and invalid.
The decision came as little surprise after Judge Tandazwa Ndita two weeks ago told legal counsel for the minister and British American Tobacco SA (Batsa), which mounted the successful but eventually moot challenge, that there was prima facie reason to allow the matter to proceed to the supreme court of appeal.
Illegal cigarette trade. (Photo: iStock)
A report claims that British American Tobacco (BAT) oversupplied Mali, knowing that its products, which were largely manufactured in South Africa, would fall in the hands of smugglers
It also claims that profits from that would end up with offshoots of al-Qaida and the so-called Islamic State (IS)
The Fair-trade Independent Tobacco Association and the South African Tobacco Association have called for BATSA to be investigated, while the company says it is opposed to the illegal trade in tobacco.
Cigarette lobby groups have called for British American Tobacco SA (BATSA), to be investigated by authorities after a report allegedly linked the multinational to smuggling activity in Mali.
South Africa’s liquor industry has expressed grave concern after Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on Wednesday increased taxes on alcohol during his 2021 Budget Speech.
Sin-tax increase a hammer blow to recovering businesses Updated
Nothando Mkhize
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The Finance Minister has hiked the prices of booze and cigarettes and businesses say this was the last thing they needed.
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The Finance Minister has hiked the prices of booze and cigarettes and businesses say this was the last thing they needed.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced a hefty 8% tax increase on alcohol and tobacco products during his budget speech yesterday.
You will have to fork out another R5. 50 for a 750ml bottle of spirits.
A packet of 20 cigarettes will cost R1.39 more. SA Liquor Brand owners Association s Sibani Mngadi says it s another setback for businesses.
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Cigarette war goes radioactive
Tax justice group says two of every three cigarettes sold in SA is illicit, robbing the fiscus of R8bn a year. Small tobacco manufacturers say the group is a front for Big Tobacco. 00:01
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It seems forcing smokers to get their fix illegally during the ban has normalised the act among retailers and consumers. Image: Shutterstock
A new report by Tax Justice SA (TJSA) finds that two of every three cigarettes sold in SA are illicit, making SA possibly the worldâs largest black market for cigarettes.
This is costing the fiscus R8 billion a year. A TJSA researcher visited 43 retail outlets in four different cities and in all but one of these outlets was able to buy cigarettes for less than R20 a pack.