[imagesource: Cornel van Heerden/Gallo Images]

If you’ve been rationing your cigarettes, I wouldn’t throw caution to the wind just yet and chain smoke all weekend.

Also, look at the prices listed in that picture above. Remember when a box of smokes cost less than a buffalo (R100), or even a leopard (R200)? Good times.

But, and this is a big but (butt?), British American Tobacco, which is South Africa’s largest cigarette company, did confirm this week that it has started accepting “holding orders” from customers.

As Business Insider SA reports, this is still in the very tentative stages – no invoices are being issued and no deliveries will be made – but I’m sure it’s brought a smile to many smokers’ faces.

Facing a number of legal challenges, as well as fielding parliamentary questions, Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is under fire. With regards to the parliamentary questions, she continues to duck and dive in order to avoid giving a real answer.

Her case isn’t helped by the fact that Professor Shabir Madhi, a Professor of Vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand, the director of the Medical Research Council Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, and a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC), doesn’t see many tangible health benefits to the decision to ban the sale of tobacco.

Read more on that here.

British American Tobacco Southern Africa (BATSA) external affairs head Johnny Moloto made it clear in a statement to Business Insider SA that deliveries would only be carried out once the government sales ban is lifted, but the company wants “to be in a position to better serve its customers and consumers once allowed”.

Desperate for a shred of good news, I reckon smokers may treat themselves to an extra entjie or two.

Back to Dlamini-Zuma and her legal headaches, and next week will see BATSA head to court in an application to set aside the ban on the sale of tobacco products.

The matter is due to be heard in the Western Cape division of the High Court next Tuesday (June 30).

UPDATE: The BATSA case has now been delayed until August 4, following an appeal by state lawyers to Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe.

BATSA described the decision as “inexplicable” and “worrying”.

Read more on that here.

According to News24, BATSA filed papers at the High Court on Wednesday, with BATSA CEO Andre Joubert arguing that Dlamini-Zuma:

• failed to make a convincing legal argument that the cigarette ban was legally necessary;
• failed to make a legitimate health arguments, to show smoking increased the chance of contracting Covid-19, or that smokers would be worse-off if they did contract the virus; and
• failed to show the ban had stopped the purchase of cigarettes.

With the court case involving the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA), we were able to see the government’s reasons for the extended tobacco ban outlined in full.

Both BATSA and FITA clearly don’t think that reasoning holds up, with the former lining up two “expert affidavits” in support of its application:

First, Dr Jaymin Morjaria is a Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital in Middlesex, England.

Morjaria specialises “in treating patients with airways disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung disorders like cancer, bronchiectasis, and pleural disease”…

The second expert is Richard Murgatroyd, Partner at RBB Economics.

You can read more regarding what those experts will bring to the table here.

In the case brought against the government by FITA earlier this month, judgment in the matter was reserved, with no indication when a decision could be expected.

UPDATE: From TimesLIVE:

“The application by Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association is dismissed.”

With these words, the high court ruled on Friday that the sale of tobacco products would remain banned under the government’s lockdown regulations.

Yeah, so maybe not such a hopeful weekend for smokers after all.

For now, you’ll have to keep on smoking those awful knock-off brands, whilst illicit smugglers make a fortune and South Africa loses out on massive amounts of tax revenue.

[sources:businsidersa&news24]