Bulawayo,(New Ziana)-The Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) has prosecuted 1,923 businesses across the country since January for a range of malpractices, including selling expired and counterfeit goods.
The crackdown also targeted substandard goods, refusing legally mandated returns and refunds, selling underweight products, and failing to provide warranties.
This was said by the commission`s chairperson, Respina Zinyanduko on Friday while addressing delegates attending the inaugural 2025 Annual Consumer Conference at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Conference Centre (ZICES).
The conference is running under the theme: “Combating Proliferation of Counterfeits Products for Enhanced Industry Competitiveness and Consumer Safety for the Realisation of Vision 2030.”
She said the commission is operating within the frameworks of Vision 2030, the National Development Strategy (NDS2), and the United Nations guidelines on consumer protection.
“Therefore, the Commission has been very active in the market, carrying out enforcement, market surveillance, and educational activities to empower consumers.
“To date, 1,923 business persons have been prosecuted for various offences,”Zinyanduko said.
The chairperson issued a stern warning to rogue traders, vowing that the commission will not relent.
“We want to assure all consumers that the commission is not going to rest until all the culprits are brought to book. We are striving to ensure sanity is brought into the market and consumers are no longer sold harmful products that compromise their health and safety,” she said.
Zinyanduko said through a series of joint blitz operations with partners like the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), ZIMRA, and the Trade Measures Department, the commission has confiscated vast quantities of illicit goods.
These include detergents, electronics, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, rice, mealie-meal, sugar, bread, and various dairy products, she added.
Zinyanduko cited the electronics sector as a major concern, where unscrupulous suppliers are selling refurbished laptops and cellphones as new.
“This is a serious breach of the law and flagrant short-changing of consumers.
“Confiscated counterfeit products, including smuggled milk and illicit beverages, have been ordered destroyed under the supervision of health inspectors, with assistance from Geo Pomona waste management,” she said.
Zinyanduko, however, noted that there is still a knowledge gap in some parts of the country, especially those in remote areas.
“Therefore, the main thrust of the Commision, going forward, is to ensure that every length and breadth of the country is covered in line with the government mantra, leaving no one and no place behind.
“Let me re affirm the commission`s commitment to fight against counterfeits, substandard and fake products in the country by joining hands with other law enforcement agencies to tackle this challenge, which can now be equated to economic sabotage given its scale and magnitude,” she said.
She also said the commission has started engaging key stakeholders such as the National Prosecuting Authority,judiciary,the police and Ministry of Justice to ensure that sentences which are passed to offenders are deterrent enough.
“The Commission is working with the Attorney General`s Office to identify gaps existing within Consumer Protection Act so that the law is made watertight to make its implementation more effective, ”Zinyanduko said, equating the scale of counterfeit trade to “economic sabotage.”