Harare (New Ziana) –Members of the public should acquaint themselves with the Consumer Protection Act to avoid being taken advantage of by both service providers and those who sell goods.
Industry and Commerce Minister Sekai Nzenza said this in a speech read on her behalf by her Ministry permanent secretary, Mavis Sibanda during commemorations of the World Consumer Rights Day held in the capital on Wednesday.
“An informed consumer is an empowered consumer,” she said.
“Most importantly, informed consumers can raise their voices and take legal action against any product or service purchased that goes against their rights.”
Nzenza said her Ministry had already translated the Act into vernacular languages such as Shona, Ndebele and Braille for the benefit of everyone.
She reiterated the call by President Emmerson Mnangagwa when he launched the Act in 2021, for stakeholders to carry out programs to educate consumers on their rights.
“As a government, we urge the Consumer Protection Commission to accelerate the development of its communication strategy, which is critical for communicating consumer issues to the public,” she said.
She said the communication strategy should use local media platforms including the electronic, print and digital to ensure that citizens, especially the marginalised and vulnerable, understood the Act.
Speaking at the same event, whose theme was “Empowering Consumers through Clean Energy Transitions”, permanent secretary for Energy and Power Development Gloria Magombo lamented the increase in cases of vandalism of ZESA equipment by some rogue community members.
She said there was need to educate the public on the importance of protecting utility infrastructure.
“We are also looking at improving the legislative framework to ensure that we have a 30-year mandatory sentence for those who move us back when we think we are moving ahead,” she said.
Magombo said while the government was building larger power plants as well as coming up with policies to allow for investments through independent power producers, consumers should adopt energy efficiency technologies.
“Also, what is critical is that, whilst we are waiting for the commissioning of Hwange Units 7 and 8, we are also looking in the medium term, on the life expansion and extension of Units 1 to 6 as we are already working on Unit 5 now, and we are also looking at long term development of large hydro plants, especially the Batoka,” she added.
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