By 
Former Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Judith Kapijimpanga, has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to reject the Tobacco Bill, warning that the proposed law could trigger massive job losses and fuel the growth of the illicit cigarette market.
Kapijimpanga said the President should treat the Bill with the same caution he applied when he withheld assent to the controversial CCTV Bill, arguing that both pieces of legislation carry significant risks for ordinary citizens.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday, Kapijimpanga said stricter tobacco regulations would reduce demand for locally grown leaf, undermine factory production, and ultimately force legal manufacturers out of the market.
She cited the case of British American Tobacco South Africa, where a major production plant in Heidelberg shut down after decades of operation as illegal cigarette traders dominated the market.
“The Heidelberg plant closure left thousands without work because legal manufacturers could no longer compete with untaxed counterfeit goods,” she said.
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Kapijimpanga warned that Zambia could face similar shocks, noting that farmers, distributors and retailers who depend on the tobacco value chain risk losing their livelihoods if the Bill becomes law.
She said government must balance public health considerations with economic realities, cautioning that ignoring the economic dimension would deepen poverty in rural and peri-urban communities.
Kapijimpanga added that once legal production declined, black-market operators typically filled the gap—especially in countries where enforcement against smuggling is weak.
“Parliament should carefully reconsider the long-term consequences because the social cost of unemployment and illicit trade may outweigh the intended health benefits,” she said.
She reminded lawmakers that President Hichilema previously withheld assent to the CCTV Bill due to privacy concerns, noting that similar caution was needed to prevent economic and social harm arising from the Tobacco Bill.
Kapijimpanga further warned that the legislation would disproportionately affect farming communities in regions heavily dependent on tobacco cultivation, including Nkeyema and Kaoma in Western Province, and the Tumbuka-speaking areas of Lumezi, Lundazi, Chasefu, Chama and Mafinga.
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