During South Africa’s strictest national lockdown, a ban on alcohol and tobacco fanned the fires of a large and lucrative black market for cigarettes. The South African National Treasury data show the government lost R9.5bn in alcohol and tobacco taxes in the first four months of the 2020 fiscal year. A report funded by the country’s Tobacco Institute showed that two years before the ban, the country already had one of the world’s largest illicit markets for tobacco products. In December last year, a SARS official and two accomplices were charged with corruption and defeating the course of justice over a seized truck and contraband, which was allegedly cleared to pass over the Beitbridge border crossing from Zimbabwe. The contents of that truck were estimated to be worth R10m. On Sunday, more Remington Gold cigarettes were seized, this time the load was worth R13m. Tax Justice SA founder Yusuf Abramjee says the bust is proof of the findings released in a report by Ipsos, which
Paul Hoffman revisits the separation that should exist between party and State. The cadre deployment made blatantly evident during testimony at the State Capture Commission creates a detrimental flaw in the way in which government is perceived and how it functions. This flaw has allowed the rot of State Capture and corruption to continue its spread, driven by the ruling party’s desire for ultimate control over all organs of state. The blurred lines between the ruling ANC and the power and responsibilities of the State mean that civil servants need to be reminded that they are beholden to the country and should be guided by the Constitution which requires that civil servants put their country before any political allegiance. “Those who lead the ANC cannot say that they weren’t warned in 2010 when Zuma’s project was in its infancy,” writes Hoffman. – Melani Nathan
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Vaccines: State control denies constitutional rights in SA
The South African government’s efforts to secure and roll out Covid-19 vaccines have been riddled with problems. When the world was abuzz with news of vaccine purchases, the nation’s leaders were worryingly silent. When plans were eventually revealed, the strategy seemed to be full of unknowns. South Africans have endured lockdowns that have used some of the strictest measures in the world, to contain the virus. A second wave, fuelled by a new variant, discovered by scientists in KwaZulu Natal far surpassed the first. With another winter approaching, experts predict a third wave of infections. Meanwhile, South Africans are left to piece together shattered livelihoods and wait anxiously for a vaccination. The Government has made many excuses as to why the rollout has had a glacial pace. Private institutions have offered their facilities and services but the government insists on absolute control. Paul Hoffman of Accountab