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We’re now on day 116 of the national lockdown, which means it’s been 117 days since you could legally purchase tobacco.

Despite this, every smoker knows that you can still find all sorts of cheap knockoff brands without too much hassle, although you’ll pay for your habit.

At one stage, smokers were paying as much as R3 000 a carton, but prices seem to have come down over the last few weeks.

In the ongoing trial of 19-year-old Romando Meyer, who is facing murder charges, it is alleged that a fight over the price of a loose cigarette led to the death of Emile “Milo” Anthony, 23, who died after being stabbed in the heart on May 11.

Meyer appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court last Thursday, and here’s IOL with more:

At the time, witnesses told the Daily Voice that Emile’s friend was embroiled in a fight with Meyer and while trying to break up the fight, Emile got stabbed.

The 18-year-old friend, who asked not to be named, said: “That guy came here asking for entjies (cigarettes), we were standing outside and we told him that there is no entjies at the shop, and there were people selling entjies, R10 (for) one.

He told me I am jas (crazy) and my **** and the fight started.”

Just a hunch, but I feel like that four-letter word above starts with a ‘p’.

Meyer has denied the above allegations, saying that he was instead approached and offered cigarettes at R15 each, and when he declined to buy them at that price, he was struck in the face.

He says the fight was related to bullying, which he alleged he had been the victim of for some time:

Meyer says he went home to fetch an envelope opener and returned to Oribi Avenue, where he was approached by Emile.

“He came to me and went down and I had it in my hand. I didn’t mean to stab him.”

The case was postponed to October 1 by Magistrate Goolam Bawa, as investigations are ongoing.

In addition, witness statements, along with the post mortem report, are still outstanding.

[source:iol]