Gauteng and DA lock horns over BAT closure

JOBS UP IN SMOKE

- SIMON MAJADIBODU

THE Gauteng provincial government has dismissed claims by the DA linking the planned closure of British American Tobacco South Africa's (BATSA) Heidelberg facility to Premier Panyaza Lesufi, calling the allegations disingenuous and politically opportunistic.

Provincial government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the DAs statement attempts to shift blame for what he described as a complex national crisis onto the Gauteng government.

“The statement is a disingenuous and politically opportunistic attempt to blame Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the Gauteng Provincial Government for a complex, national crisis, while the DA itself is a partner in national governance structures failing to address the root causes,” Mhlanga said.

He said the DA’s accusations were factually misleading and exposed hypocrisy in the party's policy positions and political responsibilities.

“Attempts to portray the illicit cigarette trade as a provincial failure are not only misguided, but intellectually dishonest,” he said.

Mhlanga said responsibility for combating illicit tobacco trade rests with the national government.