DA Calls On Ramaphosa To Discipline Dlamini-Zuma Over Cigarette Sale Ban

Democratic Alliance (DA) interim leader John Steenhuisen has accused Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of lying in order to justify the ban on the sale of cigarettes during alert level three of the lockdown.

Steenhuisen said that Dlamini-Zuma had exaggerated the number of submissions received which were against the lifting of the ban.

He made these claims during his weekly coronacast on Tuesday.

The interim leader said that Minister Dlamini-Zuma was not being honest with South Africans.

“She told the South African public that there were over 2,000 submissions in favour of the tobacco ban that she was instituting. Well, in court papers it now appears that this was in fact not the case and that there was around 400 submissions that were made in favour and that in the midst of 70,000 other submissions.”

Steenhuisen called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to discipline the minister and said that the party would be approaching the courts against some of the regulations she had gazetted.

“I’ll be writing to President Ramaphosa a little later today asking him to take disciplinary steps against Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma if in fact she’s misled the nation.”

The DA maintains that the ongoing lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 is hurting the economy.

EWN