Women’s League defends comrade

The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) is furious about the treatment of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma after she announced that cigarette sales would remain banned during the coronavirus lockdown.

In a lengthy statement, the league said it was among those who had made submissions to keep cigarette sales banned. It launched into an attack on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni for not holding the line on this issue.

Dlamini-Zuma announced last Wednesday that the national command council had changed its mind on allowing the sale of cigarettes, due to health reasons.

This was an about-turn on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that the easing of the lockdown meant that cigarettes and tobacco products would go on sale again.

Some quarters insinuated that Dlamini-Zuma was in cahoots with the illicit cigarette traders to fund her political campaign.

Petitions have been circulating to get cigarettes back on sale again.

“The ANCWL respects the freedom of speech, but however we cannot be silent when other people are spitting their misogynist and racist venom bile on Minister Dlamini-Zuma disguising under the right to freedom of speech (sic).

“Minister Dlamini-Zuma’s biggest sin was to announce the ministerial command team decisions, in particular that the selling of cigarettes and tobacco-related products remains prohibited in Level 4 of the lockdown,” a statement said.

“Without shame, the ANCWL will defend her.”