President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday dismissed suggestions that he was overruled by the minister of cooperative governance on the country's continued cigarette ban, saying there was a collective decision to make a U-turn on lifting the ban during level 4 of South Africa's Covid-19 lockdown.
"There has been much public comment on government’s decision to extend the prohibition on the sale of tobacco products into level 4," Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter.
"A decision like this is bound to be controversial, but it is wrong to suggest that there are ministers or a president doing and saying whatever they want on this matter."
Ramaphosa has been ridiculed for allowing himself to be overruled on the matter.
He said when he announced on national television on April 23 that cigarette sales would be allowed from May 1, this was in line with the draft regulations agreed on by the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC).
However, the council changed its view after the cabinet approved the draft regulations that would govern Level 4 of the nationwide lockdown, after the country had been under stricter Level 5 rules since March 27.
"After careful consideration and discussion, the NCCC reconsidered its position on tobacco. As a result, the regulations ratified by cabinet and announced by minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on 29 April extended the prohibition," Ramaphosa said.
"This was a collective decision and the public statements by both myself and the minister were done on behalf of, and mandated by, the collective I lead."
Ramaphosa added that every regulation the government had published during the health crisis had been carefully considered, and stressed that South Africa was not alone in restricting freedoms to fight the spread of Covid-19.
"We have been guided by international bodies and the experience of other countries," he said.
The reality is that we are sailing in uncharted waters. There is still a great deal about the epidemiology of the virus that is unknown. It is better to err on the side of caution than to pay the devastating price of a lapse in judgment in future."
- African News Agency (ANA)
