Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says she did not set out to deceive the North Gauteng High Court when claiming that she had received more than 1 500 submissions in support of the ongoing prohibition of cigarette sales.
The Free-Trade Independent Tobacco Association is asking for a court ruling setting aside the lockdown ban on cigarette and tobacco sales.
She has been widely ridiculed for stating that there had been 1 535 petitions in favour of the ban before closer scrutiny showed that 47.2% of these were unrelated submissions.
Some 23% were in fact opposed to the ban and only 29%, or 454 submissions, supported the ban Dlamini-Zuma announced in late April would remain in place indefinitely.
The misstatement has led to the official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) lodging a complaint against the minister for misleading the public.
The argument in the matter will be heard on Wednesday.
The ban on the sale of cigarettes is also being challenged by British American Tobacco SA. Their application is set to be heard in the Cape Town High Court on the 24th of June.
African News Agency
