Johannesburg – Government has once again defended its decision to ban the sale of cigarettes as the country gears up for stage three lockdown restrictions.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Tuesday briefed members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on efforts to curb Covid-19.
Dlamini-Zuma has come under fire for her position on cigarette sales, saying she could go to town telling members of the NCOP about the health risks associated with smoking.
“If you stop smoking, in 12 hours, the carbon monoxide in your body drops to normality. In 22 weeks, your circulation improves and your lung function increases.”
She also dismissed claims that she was close to cigarette trader Adriano Mazzotti.
“I must also put it on record, I am not Mazzotti’s friend and secondly, if anyone is doing crime in South Africa, they must be arrested. Whatever crime it is, whether it is with cigarettes, they must be arrested.”
Dlamini-Zuma added that government would further argue its case on the cigarette ban in court.
