South Africa News

Fita accused to challenging cigarette ban to protect monetary gains

The government has accused the Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) of pursuing the tobacco products ban on sales mainly to protect their monetary gains.

This has formed part of the government’s reasoning against the association’s leave to appeal an adverse ruling by the Pretoria High Court.

The industry and the country have lost out on billions of rand in revenue since the sales ban was effected at the start of the national lockdown in March.

Advocate Marumo Moerane told the full bench of the court that the legal challenge was not in the public’s interest as asserted by the association in its legal bid.

While the organization cited the economic impact as part of its argument on why the decision should be reversed it also cited, as equally important, the legal ramifications of the issue, saying that the sales ban failed the rationality test.

Moerane said that this would not pass at the Supreme Court of Appeal where Fita hoped that its challenge would be treated favourably.

“The grounds of appeal lack reasonable prospects of success, and we submit that there exists no compelling reason this appeal should be heard and that the application should, therefore, be dismissed with cost.”

Judge President Dunstan Mblambo said judgment in the matter will be delivered next week.

-EWN

In other news – Video of coronavirus positive AKA heavily coughing disgusts social media

Again, people should start taking this deadly pandemic seriously by observing and practicing all necessary measures because it is real and it kills. Amongst millions of those who have been infected all over the world, are some of Mzansi‘s favourite celebrities who have been affected and it’s sad.

Video of coronavirus positive AKA heavily coughing disgusts social media

About a week ago, local hip hop star AKA made headlines on social media after he disclosed he had contacted the virus and urged the public to beware because the pandemic is real. continue reading