By Thabisani Dube

HARARE – The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) is deeply concerned with the proliferation of substandard goods, expired products, and counterfeit commodities flooding the Zimbabwean market. This, they say, is undermining the CCZ Act enacted by the government on December 14, 2019.

“This only calls for an aggressive approach to the enforcement measures,” said Rosemary Mpofu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) adding that the enforcement of the act now needs “a very aggressive approach.”

Mpofu said it was disheartening to note that consumers were being subjected to unscrupulous traders bent on making a profit at all costs.

“These traders are also demanding payment only in US dollars cash and claiming their point-of-sale machines are not working to avoid using the local currency.”

CCZ’s nationwide survey found that about 90 percent of ZiG machines were not working, especially in the informal sector. Mpofu said this was against the CCZ Act.

“The life of consumers continues to be trampled upon despite having the Act which is supposed to be protecting us,” Mpofu said urging consumers to “desist from supporting those businesses which are not licensed.”

The CCZ boss said while the informal sector was playing a crucial role in the economy it was on the other side destroying the gains as it had become “the hub of counterfeit products.”

Mpofu acknowledged that the informal sector contributes 80 percent to the economy, but insisted that they should be licensed so that they become accountable to the laws of the land. She warned consumers to desist from buying expired food with unknown origins which in most cases are counterfeit products.

She said that despite having many good laws and the CCZ Act to protect consumers, it is only the licensed businesses that are following the regulations and contributing to the government through taxes.

“In this country, we have so many good laws, so many CCZ laws and they ensure that as consumers we are highly protected but it is only licensed people who are following all that, contributing to the government, and pay taxes to our government,” Mpofu said.

She also pointed a finger at those who smuggle currency outside the country without paying taxes saying they are destroying government’s efforts to turn the country into an upper middle income economy. Again most the culprits were in the informal sector whose interests are primarily to make money for themselves while the compliant formal businesses are being “punished.”

Mpofu warned that the proliferation of counterfeit and expired products could be contributing to Zimbabwe’s high cancer rates, as “some chemicals which are used in food and drinks continue to harm us.”

She urged consumers to support only the businesses that can be held accountable by the CCZ as they risk zero compensation should something go wrong.