Thursday 23 January 2025 – Tax Justice South Africa (TJSA) is calling for urgent, more aggressive measures to combat the growing illicit cigarette trade following the latest massive bust at the Beitbridge border.
In the new operation, Limpopo police seized more than R14 million worth of illicit Remington Gold cigarettes hidden in a tanker being towed through the port of entry into South Africa.
Yusuf Abramjee, the founder of TJSA, said: “The scale of South Africa’s illicit cigarette trade has reached unprecedented levels.
“Despite revelations of Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation’s (GLTC) alleged involvement in multi-billion-rand tax evasion and money-laundering, their brands – including Remington Gold – continue to dominate the South African tobacco market.
“The latest seizure at the Beitbridge port of entry highlights the alarming persistence of the illicit cigarette trade and the urgent need for new, innovative measures to combat this growing crisis.
“These smuggling operations are robbing South Africa of billions of rands in tax revenue each year, undermining our economy and depriving our people of vital services.”
Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia documentary revealed Zimbabwe-based GLTC as a key player in South Africa’s illicit cigarette trade.
An estimated two in every three cigarettes sold in South Africa today are illicit, with the total loss in tax revenue exceeding R27 billion annually.
“It is deeply concerning that, even after Gold Leaf’s exposure, not a single arrest has been made and their brands remain widespread across South Africa,” Abramjee said.
“This is a glaring example of how systemic weaknesses in enforcement and regulation allow criminal enterprises to flourish.
“We can’t keep hoping for change if we simply adopt ‘business as usual’. The government must take immediate action and implement stronger enforcement at border posts, more stringent monitoring of tobacco industry supply chains and urgent enforcement of the rules allowing the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to install CCTV cameras in all tobacco factories.
“The fight against illicit tobacco is a fight for the future of South Africa’s economy and the well-being of its people. We cannot afford to wait a single day longer before bringing to justice the mega-rich kingpins who are crippling our country.”
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