South Africa media has reported that the country’s National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and Cabinet have been advised to lift the ban on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol and move the country to Alert Level Two of the nationwide lockdown.
Leading online publication News24 said Ramaphosa chaired meetings of the NCCC and Cabinet on Tuesday where the overwhelming argument was in favour of fully reopening the economy.
The paper quoted sources who said the decision was made after arguments that the economic devastation of the cigarette sales ban could no longer be justified and the neighbouring country had lost billions of rand in tax revenue as a result of the ban and the illegal selling of cigarettes has flourished.
There is speculation that Ramaphosa would address the nation on the matter this week.
