Smokers frustrated and confused about Gauteng’s cigarette ban
While the Western Cape has lifted their ban on cigarette sales, with strict guidelines, our community is wondering when they will be able to buy again.
“We should make government and all people aware of the dangers of just cutting off a real necessity to those who smoke,” Vernon Swanepoel from Johannesburg said in an email to the News.
When the government instituted the regulations for lockdown, tobacco sticks were right up there with alcohol among the products that were not to be sold in the next few weeks.
This ban, however, has driven smokers all over, and especially in the community, up the wall.
According to reports, the Western Cape has lifted the ban on cigarette sales recently, on condition that it is bought with essential goods like food.
In Gauteng, however, the ban is still in effect and smokers are confused as to why it was lifted in certain provinces and not in others.
A post on the Tax Justice South Africa’s Facebook page commented on a letter from a smoker saying; “It shows the stark reality of the lockdown for smokers. They are likely to get an illness that will sabotage beds in jam-packed hospitals. South Africa needs those beds to treat the people with Covid-19. We need to protect our citizens at this time of crisis. The lockdown must not backfire. We need to sell cigarettes in a regulated manner, not force smokers to go ‘cold-turkey’ or turn to illicit vendors.”
Swanepoel even suggested selling cigarettes for only a few hours a day, “Like they do with the taxi drivers [who are allowed to operate only certain hours of the day]. I can tell you now you will have smokers complying and respecting this.”
On the Krugersdorp Community Forum Facebook page hundreds of comments showed that this is a problem.
“I don’t even smoke and I think it is ridiculous that people can’t buy; it is so dumb,” David Olivier commented.
Nieta Martin commented: “The ban should be lifted for safety reasons before people start breaking in and burning things down”.
Merryl van Jaarsveld said: “My husband is discouraged. No cigarettes. He has been smoking for the past 60 years.”
There were, however, those who had no sympathy for smokers.
Rene Jansen van Rensburg said: “It regards those who throw their butts out the window. You may have the virus and there are those who pick it up for the last drag or two.”
In a media briefing on 2 April, Police Minister Beki Cele, again emphasised that cigarettes are not an essential item and that the sale thereof is prohibited across the country.
The fear is that smokers will now turn to illicit vendors to buy illegally.
For now, smokers should look after their cigarettes like it is their last meal, because in Gauteng, when it runs out, there is no more.
