South Africa
#LockdownSA: Tobacco ban heads to Appeals Court─── 10:40 Sat, 15 Aug 2020
The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein has agreed to hear the application by the Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita), for leave to appeal an earlier ruling regarding the ban on the sale of tobacco products.
Fita says it received confirmation on Friday that the Appeals Court will hear its case against the ruling by a full bench of the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
Fita is appealing the ruling by the High Court in Pretoria last month, in which the Association was denied leave to appeal the cigarette ban ruling.
In that judgement, the High Court judges endorsed government’s lockdown regulations that ban the sale of tobacco.
It found that Minister of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma acted within her power when she banned the sale of tobacco products as it was an attempt to contain the spread of Covid-19 and limit hospital admissions.
Fita Chairperson, Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, says they are now waiting for a confirmation of a date on which the application will be heard.
