\u201cThere is no possibility of a midway agreement that accommodates them and us. We believe that it is the right thing to do. I don\u2019t see any of us agreeing on the measures the other party has taken.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will make our case in court. We believe we have very good reasons,” he said<\/p>\n
This was echoed by justice minister, Ronald Lamola, who also indicated that government was unlikely to budge on the issue.<\/p>\n
“The cigarettes matter will depend on the willingness of the parties to mediate, but it does look like something that will end up in the courts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not taking away the rights of anyone to go to court; we are just saying that, where it is possible for the parties involved to sit down and mediate, it will save costs for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Backtracking<\/strong><\/p>\n Government had originally indicated that it would allow for the sale of cigarettes in a proposed lockdown plan presented last weekend. However, it later backtracked on this decision when the official level 4 restrictions were gazetted on Wednesday (29 April).<\/p>\n Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said that this reversal was because government had received more than 2,000 complaints from the public and industry stakeholders.<\/p>\n She added that there are health risks associated with smoking and which could exacerbate the ongoing health crisis.<\/p>\n The move has faced fierce opposition in the private sector, with tobacco companies now gearing up to fight the decision in court.<\/p>\n More than 470,000<\/a><\/strong> people have also signed an petition to lift the ban on the sale of cigarettes in the country.<\/p>\n
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