Fita moves to appeal cigarette ban ruling
The Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) has moved to challenge a ruling by the High Court in Pretoria which upheld the ban on the sale of tobacco products.
In its application for leave to appeal, which was lodged on Friday, the group said the court made several errors in its interpretation of the Disaster Management Act.
Fita chairperson Sinenhlanhla Mnguni believes the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein will come to a different conclusion.
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The state argued that the use of tobacco products during the Covid-19 pandemic poses a health risk, but Fita believes the court failed to consider the weakness in the medical research presented by the state.
The group further states that the illegal sale of cigarettes allows smokers to access the products and therefore makes the ban irrational.