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The ban on sales of cigarettes and alcohol during the shutdown has created an underground market for rampant businesses throughout Pietermaritzburg.
And it is not only about unreliable characters who give themselves to the products offered. Those who support it are often law-abiding citizens and many professionals. A Weekend Witness The investigation, carried out this week, revealed a “dialing” network on social media with door-to-door delivery of cigarettes and alcohol.
Sources say that phone calls and SMS to order cigarettes and alcohol have been going on since the closure was announced and that availability and accessibility have made it easier for people to shop and get their enthusiasm.
Some bar and store owners, and their connections, have formed WhatsApp groups that advertise what they have in stock. The connection places an order for the third party and the collection of alcohol or tobacco is organized.
High price
Once the provider picks up the alcohol or cigarettes, the connection goes to the third party’s home and leaves it discreetly.
But stealthy sales come at a high price.
A 750ml bottle of whiskey, which generally costs no more than R350, will now sell for R600 or R700. A cheap bottle of gin, which was R180, now costs R350. Even a six cider package has increased from R69 to R200.
The cheapest bottle of wine has become inaccessible to many at a price of R200.
Smokers say they are paying up to R130 for a pack of 20, which costs more than R35 before closing. A loose cigarette has been moved from R2.50 to R5.
The exorbitant prices are attributed to the risks assumed by those who make the illegal sales and consumers don’t seem to mind. Expensive alcohol and cigarettes are flying off the underground shelves according to sources who spoke with Weekend Witness.
A woman from a Pietermaritzburg suburb, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said the message was spread “by word of mouth.”
Smokers
“Mainly, their smokers report to each other if they know someone who sells,” he said.
She said that during the first week of confinement, a pack of cigarettes costs between R60 and R90 in the municipalities. “At level 4, the price increase became ridiculous. In the first week it was R100, but after a few days a pack of 20 was R130. I think this is ridiculous and these people who are selling are taking advantage because they know that smokers need to take care of their nicotine addiction, “said the woman.
She said she had spent more than R1,000 on cigarettes since the closing period began.
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An Imbali, Pietermaritzburg, a man who has smoked for almost 20 years, said he still manages to satisfy his black market cravings. “I buy cigarettes every day, but sometimes it has been very difficult to find them,” he said. Weekend Witness. “The boys who sell cigarettes have raised prices, saying they are adding more money because of the risk of being arrested, and if I don’t want to buy it at that price, I must quit,” he explained.
The 26-year-old man said he had no choice but to accept his demands because he can barely survive without his guilty pleasure.
Another resident said, “Cigarettes are easy to come by if you know where to look.”
Prices
The resident mentioned that cigarettes were sold in various suburbs of the city. “Three weeks ago, a carton was selling for R280, but as soon as the ban was lifted, the price went up to R320 and will continue to go up every day,” he said.
Two other residents said they knew of people who obtain stocks of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes in Durban.
Weekend Witness Cigarette vendors operating downtown in Pietermaritzburg CBD are reported to have been reported to be reliably collecting their stocks from a “heavily guarded building” in Durban’s CBD.
An alcohol vendor who spoke to him Weekend Witness He was abrupt and sneaky.
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“I can’t talk to you on the phone. I’ll tell you all about this in person. When do you want to meet?” he asked aggressively when asked if he had any stock available.
He declined to say where he was operating and arranged an appointment in Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, but then canceled saying that he was out of stock.
Another Pietermaritzburg man said he had stocked up on alcohol for a traditional ceremony in September and therefore started selling “accidentally.”
When asked how he found his way to an illicit supply, a smoker said, “I think I intuitively know who to ask, usually fellow smokers. I have not bought directly, always through someone who knows someone. At the beginning of the blockade, I paid R550 for a carton [which was about R100 to R150 more than on the shelf].
“Now for the same cigarette I just paid for R800! This is not what you would call black market cigarettes, they are real. I think you can buy ‘cheaper brands’, what they call CK’s and D’s, for about R40 a pack. [they are usually about R18 in the shops]. So it’s a massive profit margin. Everything is very underground.
“The general consensus is that you can buy from [informal] stores but the two in my area aren’t selling [I tried]. “
“I have not bought alcohol on the black market. Someone offered me wine [at R150 a bottle for something which would probably cost about R80] I did not buy but someone I know did. And this week they offered me some spirits [gin and brandy] to R400 a bottle [cheap stuff]. I was tempted [to buy the gin]But when I went back to them, they told me that the shares had been sold. “
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