The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in partnership with the Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa (TISA), the University of Limpopo, and the Hawks hosted the first Anti-Illicit Trade Summit in Limpopo this week, aimed at finding a common solution to fight the scourge of the illegal trade in cigarettes.
The summit attracted various Law Enforcement and other key government agencies from Limpopo as well as invited and deputy provincial commissioners from other Provinces. In his official opening statement, the Premier of Limpopo, Honourable Stanley Mathabatha, said that Limpopo bordering - in the North with Zimbabwe, West with Botswana and in the East with Mozambique - is one of the critical strategic buffers when it comes to illicit trading and smuggling. “If we don’t do something fast enough, we stand to regret sooner than later,” he said.
Mathabatha further referred to the signing of the anti-smuggling protocol by the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi on behalf of South Africa, which aims to snuff out tobacco syndicates worldwide. The protocol would reportedly track and trace tobacco products from the manufacturers to its destination.
According to the National Council Against Smoking, “If smuggling is curbed, revenue increases and we stop cheaper products, therefore get fewer children and adults to smoke. On the other hand, smuggling makes cigarettes cheaper and so increases sales. It encourages people to smoke instead of quitting after tax increases, thus making it affordable to youth.”
With more than 50% of illegal cigarettes are coming from countries such as Zimbabwe, there is a serious need of working together with the various law enforcement agencies of those countries. “The same way in which we are waging war against rhino poaching, we should do the same with cigarette smuggling.” Premier Mathabatha further stated the government’s commitment to offering its support in ensuring that “we stop this illicit trade.”
The MEC for Safety, Security and Liaison, Ms Joyce Mashamba echoed the premier’s support saying that the Limpopo Anti-Illicit Trade Summit is another initiative to bolster the fight against smuggled and counterfeit goods as the intricacies of illicit trade in cigarettes are exposed.
The summit was a culmination of the on-going collaboration between the tobacco industry and law enforcement agencies to curb the scourge of illicit trade in Limpopo and the rest of the country. The Beit Bridge border post and adjacent border lines have fallen prey to cigarette smugglers who smuggle cigarettes into South Africa.
Said General Sehlahle Masemola, the newly appointed SAPS Limpopo Provincial Commissioner: “This is no longer food for thought as we can now clearly see the impact that illicit trade in cigarettes has on our province and our country.”
As the effect of the illicit trade of cigarettes was unpacked during the two day summit, it concluded with General Molatjana,Deputy Provincial Commissioner DPCI: Limpopo and National DPCI Cigarette Champion, accepting and taking ownership of implementing the outcomes with the backing of all who were involved in developing the strategy into workable plans.
CEO and Chairman of TISA, Francois van der Merwe closed the summit by recommitting the Tobacco Industry of Southern Africa as a partner in the fight against illicit trade
in cigarettes. He went on to thank government for the work already done adding that more should be done.
“As TISA we are behind you and we will continue to support and work with you as we fight the scourge of the illicit trade in cigarettes in our country”, concluded van der Merwe.
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