South Africa hits grim milestone as it considers tougher restrictions
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Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said that South Africa hit a ‘grim milestone’ on Wednesday (6 January) after it reported more than 20,000 new Covid-19 cases in a single day.
The country reported 21,832 cases, bringing the total cumulative Covid-19 cases in South Africa to 1,149,591. Recoveries now stand at 929,239 at a recovery rate of 80.8%
A further 844 deaths have been reported, with 452 new deaths reported in the Eastern Cape alone. Mkhize explained that this statistical anomaly was due to a reporting backlog and the reconciliation of data.
“The 452 deaths reported from the Eastern Cape are as a result of data reconciliation dating between May and November 2020 – this includes analysis of community cases where post-mortem swabs were taken for Covid testing and analysis of clinical records where the diagnosis was unconfirmed at the time of demise,” he said.
Government appeals Covid-19 lockdown tobacco ban ruling
6 Jan 2021
A fresh legal wrangle and jostling at the courts over the ban could run for much of the life span of the pandemic itself
(Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
NEWS ANALYSIS
As the country cries out for a solid Covid-19 vaccine strategy, the government has moved to appeal the recent court ruling that last year’s tobacco ban was unconstitutional and raised the spectre of a return to one of the most egregious measures it imposed in response to the pandemic.
Papers have been filed by counsel for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, her spokesman said, three weeks after a full bench of the Western Cape high court found that the ban fell foul of both the constitution and administrative law.
Government’s tobacco case appeal raises fears of another cigarette ban in South Africa
Bloomberg5 January 2021
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South Africa’s government is appealing a court ruling that last year’s ban on the sale of tobacco products was unconstitutional, an indication that stricter measures to contain the coronavirus may be under consideration.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has filed papers with the Supreme Court of Appeal on a non-urgent basis, her spokesman said in a phone message on Tuesday.
The move follows a toughening of lockdown restrictions last week to help ease a resurgence in Covid-19 infections, which have led to a sharp increase in hospitalizations and deaths.
Is another cigarette ban on the cards after govt moves to appeal? Fita responds
702 is simulcasting The Midday Report with Mandy Wiener on CapeTalk this week.
The Western Cape High Court decision found against Regulation 45 of the laws governing the State of Disaster Management Act and declared the government s decision to ban the sale of tobacco products unconstitutional.
This week government declared its intention to appeal the ruling and this has raised concerns about another tobacco ban in South Africa, says Mandy Wiener.
Mandy talks to the chairperson at Fair-trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) Sinenhlanhla Mnguni to find out if this is feasible.
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South Africa s largest cigarette manufacturer, British American Tobacco SA, and others intend to oppose government s application for leave to appeal a recent High Court judgment which found the ban on tobacco during the country s hard lockdown last year was unnecessary.
BATSA and other tobacco traders, including the Limpopo Tobacco Processors, SA Tobacco Transformation Alliance and Suider Afrika Agri Inisiatief, had turned to the High Court in August 2019 - before the ban was lifted - to challenge its legitimacy. Judgment in the case was reserved and delivered in December in BATSA s favour, with the court finding the ban was unconstitutional and unnecessary.