Illicit cigarette wars intensify

A vicious battle for market share is taking place in the tobacco industry as cigarette companies fight for survival. Investigations by The Zimbabwean have revealed that the war, which pits local companies against established multinationals, involves spying activities of which James Bond would be proud. “There is very hot ‘cold war’ out there. The big companies like BAT want to maintain a monopoly of the tobacco industry but we as locals are saying that must not happen. You need to be made of steel to survive in this industry,” said Adam Molai, the executive chairman of Savanna Tobacco, in an interview last week.