It’s been over two years since the word ‘lockdown’ became the unofficial mantra of South Africa. Although the word will now form part of our history books, smokers and those who strongly opposed the cigarette ban can finally say “told you so.”
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed the government’s pleas to overturn a ruling in late 2020 by the Western Cape High Court that deemed the restriction invalid.
The original case saw the British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) fight against the logic of the ban. In March this year Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dlamini Zuma, who has long faced criticism for being the face of the cigarette ban (and the voice, for those who remember the remix ‘When People Zol’), lodged an appeal.
However, yesterday the ruling was determined and lay in favour with BATSA, largely on the premise that there was “no scientific justification” for the ban and its continuation, as per News24.
According to EWN, Dlamini Zuma was supposed to show the pros of the ban outweighing the “harm it caused”, which was not achieved.
Now, the price is high. Dlamini Zuma and President Ramaphosa (who was involved as her co-applicant) have been instructed to pay the expenses of the tobacco company, British American Tobacco.
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Picture: Cape {town} Etc gallery