Rogue businesses face wrath of Consumer Protection Commission

Gibson Mhaka
THE Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) has urged the public to report unscrupulous businesses or any unprofessional and unethical behaviour by businesses to ensure that unscrupulous traders do not take advantage of consumers.

In an interview at their stand at the 63rd edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), CPC research and public affairs manager Kudakwashe Mudereri said where consumers suspect they are being taken advantage of, they must lodge a complaint with the commission, so that they will investigate and take action where necessary.

“Consumers have the right to fair value, good quality and safety of goods and services. Suppliers are prohibited from selling and marketing any goods or services to consumers unless these conform to the mandatory safety and quality standards such as the duty to provide goods or services that are safe and free from any defects and hazards.

“The commission is there to protect consumers so that businesses no longer do as they wish.

Consumers should know that there is now a law to protect their rights against unscrupulous businesses and unfairness practices that include multi-tier pricing, fraudulent offers, failure to label products properly and the disclosure of consumers’ personal information to third parties, are liable to prosecution.

“Our emphasis is that we want to alert both the consumers and businesses, so that both are aware that there is now a law which protects consumers’ rights,” said Mudereri.

He said if the consumers were aggrieved they should contact the commission or individually approach the courts for redress.

“We are in the process of recruiting inspectors and compliance officers to beef up our team to ensure adequate execution of our mandate.

“Right now we are based in Harare but in line with the devolution agenda of leaving no place and no one behind we are going to have offices in all the country’s provinces. We are also going to recruit and train consumer protection officers who will be in each district,” said Mudereri.

He said CPC was created after the enactment of the Consumer Protection in 2019 and it is being administered by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

“Before the enactment of this act Zimbabwe was operating without an act, it was just through pressure and advocating groups. It is the Consumer Protection Act which gave birth to the Consumer Protection Commission.

“Consumers are now entitled to be fully refunded for defective or substandard goods and services and can individually approach the courts for redress or refer their complaints to the Consumer Protection Commission,” he said.

Adds Mudereri: “Consumers have also got the right to select or reject any particular item from selected goods before completion of transaction and the right to return goods after completion of transaction.

“Where a transaction is completed, a consumer remains with the right to return goods on discovery that such goods are not of their preferred choice within the shortest period reasonable under the circumstances.”