It filed papers a short while ago.

President Cyril Ramaphosa had initially said tobacco products could be sold during level four of the lockdown.

But that decision was later reversed.

The Presidency is standing firm saying its decision is based on advice from experts.

“The president and all ministers act on the basis of collective decision...There is no reason why the president or cabinet cannot change their minds...There was a strong feeling that lifting the tobacco ban will not be helpful... Those are issues that will be ventilated in the correspondence that the government will send through in response to letters by interested parties,” said the president’s spokesperson, Kusela Diko.

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