Dear Mr.  President,

We the smokers of south Africa ask for you to reconsider the prohibition on the sale of cigarettes.  We obeyed, listened, endured hardship, endured loss of income but we did what you asked from all south Africans with the lockdown. We are now asking that you reward us and give what we are asking for.  

Before the announcement of level 4, you yourself announced that cigarettes would be allowed to be sold under level 4. A few days before the commencement of level 4 Nkosasana dlamini zuma announced that cigarettes would not go on sale as it is for health reasons and that us smokers would share cigarettes.  

We are yet to see any evidence from government that smoking spreads covid 19 or any facts that have brought this decision on.  

The withdrawal from nicotine is far more dangerous to our health then smoking.  It causes anxiety,  depression, mood swings and with this it leads to many other issues for example suicide and domestic violence.

One stopping smoking there are many scientific reports where patients have become sick as the tar loosens from the lungs which is more dangerous then smoking. 

Many of us have smoked for many years and our lungs are already compromised, stopping smoking during lockdown will not fix that. 

As smokers we already keep our distance and use only designated areas to smoke. We are already wearing masks to protect us and sanitise wherever we go.

We have the right to choose to smoke or not, this should not be dictated to that all 11 million smokers of south Africa should stop. 

What about all the workers within the tobacco industry that have their jobs on the line as the sale if cigarettes has dropped, can the government afford to pay out more uif funds to this people? 

What about all the revenue you are losing on the sale of cigarettes that could assist with the supplies needed for the fight of covid 19? As a country can we really afford to throw away these funds while our economy is brought to its knees? 

By keeping the ban in place are you condoning the illegal trade of cigarettes? It is bad enough that there is already suspicion that a minister and family are gaining on this ban so to keep it in place condones this makes suspicions believable and you lose the faith of the public. 

Many smokers are angry about the ban and we did not get a chance to prepare for this, nor did we know that this would continue for so long as the initial thoughts around be 21 days  we are currently sitting at day 59. You have us hope when you announced the sale of cigarettes and then the u turn which had left 11 million smokers with a bad taste in their mouths.

Please lift the ban of cigarettes and for them to go on sale by the 1st of June at level 3.

With regards, hope and faith

Kim Strachan.