Telita Snyckers, author of the book 'Dirty Tobacco', said while most of the smuggled cigarettes were previously being brought in from Zimbabwe, it seems the local manufacturing of illicit cigarettes has been entrenched during lockdown.
A former SA Revenue Service lawyer says the continued ban on the sale of tobacco products has been costly to country's fiscus, but also possibly dangerous for smokers who have now turned to illicit cigarettes.said the cost of the continued ban of tobacco products during the national lockdown is estimated at R1.6 billion.
She said that in the past it was known that most of the smuggled cigarettes were being brought in from Zimbabwe, but now during the lockdown it seemed the local manufacturing of illicit cigarettes has been entrenched. "On average, it is probably R1.6 billion a month that we have lost. Over the of three months, those losses would have been enough to pay for 66 000 police officers salaries," Snyckers said.
"When you look at the court papers, especially the ones Fita filed, they make a compelling argument that the minister overstepped the limitations of the disaster management act.
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