FITA to petition SCA to hear appeal opposing tobacco ban

The Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) is on Tuesday expected to file papers in a bid to petition the Supreme Court of Appeal to hear their appeal opposing government’s ban on the sale of tobacco products.

The High Court in Pretoria dismissed FITA’s application for leave to appeal after it was found that the organisation had failed to demonstrate that its appeal had reasonable prospects of success.

The sale of cigarettes in the country has been banned since the start of the lockdown in late March.

Government cited health reasons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

FITA has argued before the high court that there was no evidence that the ban on the sale of tobacco products alleviates the burden on the health-care system.

Government has since clarified that these sales are prohibited under the current level 3 regulations, and are subject to change.

In the video below, FITA tells the High Court that the ban fuelling an illicit trade in tobacco:

Nationwide protest against tobacco ban

On Saturday, scores of people participated in a nationwide protest against the ban on smoking in the country. The protests were in the form of a slow drive in 13 different locations.

In the video below, smokers around Cape Town protests against tobacco ban:

In the video below, a specialist physician Dr Adri Kok says there is no scientific evidence smoking causes or spreads COVID-19: