Children selling cigarettes during lock down

23/05/2020
Snake-park ( Soweto)
Thokozile Mntambo

The Governance of Traditional affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma announced that tobacco should remain banned in level 4 of the lock down. This decision was made due to the 2000 submissions from the public objecting the sale of cigarettes. The minister also said that the smoking does not allow social distancing and it they are many other health reasons related to Covid-19.

While these strict rules are permitted, some people are now selling cigarettes illegal around Thulani Snake-Park. Spaza shop owners are using children to sell their remaining cigarettes stock. They sell cigarettes on a higher price so that they can also get their share from the profit. Many of them know that they might get arrested, but they say that sitting at home doing nothing is boring and at least their helping their parents to buy bread and paraffin during the day.