The Northern Cape’s Consumer Protection Authority is urging the public to report spaza-shops selling expired or counterfeit goods to its offices. Head of Office Adv Prince Olivier told NCNN.Live that it is only his office, health inspectors, the police and other duly authorized officials that can confiscate illicit and expired products.
The province’s Consumer Protector response comes amid an upsurge in incidences relating to the impounding of fake and expired goods from a wholesaler and spaza-shops owned by foreign nationals in and around the Northern Cape’s town of Kuruman by a community group Dikwankwetla Forum for Service Delivery. There has also been a widespread public outcry amid pictures and videos going viral on social media exposing the selling of expired and counterfeit products.
Adv Olivier confirmed that discussions are ongoing with leaders of the forum. “We have encouraged them to form a non-governmental organisation in that such structures are appropriate for community involvement in consumer protection matters.”
When asked about the lack of Consumer Protector offices beyond Kimberley that could be a factor in community groupings taking the law into their own hands, Adv Olivier replied; “I am confident very soon. The MEC (for Economic Development) is fully aware of the need to urgently establish district offices.”
However, the forum’s spokesperson Olebogeng Leserwane says they will continue confiscating regardless of their operations having been called “illegal.” “We will only stop once the Northern Cape government has implemented a programme similar to that of the Ekurhuleni Municipality in acting against the culprits (impounding, issuing of fines and arrests were carried out in joint operations led by Mayor Mzwandile Masina). We are going to extend our operations to areas such as Hartswater, Pampierstad and Upington where we have established branches of the forum,” he said.
In July, police in Hartswater arrested six suspects believed to be foreign nationals amid a clampdown on a factory worth R77 million, manufacturing counterfeit household goods such as spices, shoe polish and sanitary towels, amongst others.
Adv Olivier’s colleague who heads the Consumer Protection Authority’s Education and Awareness Ralph Speek added that rural communities are often targeted and most vulnerable, hence much of their outreach programmes have been taken to outskirts of major towns. “Apart from awareness through which we inform the public about their rights as consumers, we do inspections on business premises and such operations also involve other relevant stakeholders,” added Speek.
The two indicated that their office proudly boasts an above 90 percent success rate in cases lodged by members of the public and had been ruled upon by the Consumer Court. They encouraged the public to phone the office at 053 831 5562/3/4 for their free services.
By Thabo Mothibi
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Thabo Mothibi is a former broadcast journalist (TV and Radio) – with specialist reporting experience; SABC Political/Parliamentary and TRC Teams over a period of five years (1995 to 2000).
One key foreign assignment - is the 11-nation African Connection Rally – overland journey from Africa’s northern-most pole in the coastal Tunisian city of Bizerte to the southern-most pole in South Africa’s Cape Agulhas. From the journalistic years, Thabo then delved into Government media liaison and serving two former Ministers and three MECs. He became the Northern Cape Provincial Government’s first department based Communications Director at Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development - 2008-2010 – where he also served as Head of Ministry from 2003 – 2008.
As a former anti-apartheid activist, his political background and professional training aided him in spearheading the Northern Cape ANC’s 2004 National Elections media and publicity campaign and that of the 2006 Local Government Elections.
Whilst based in Waterkloof in Pretoria -2010 to end 2011, he consulted for Manstrat Agricultural Intelligence, then returned to the Northern Cape in 2012 to date, to consult independently and pursue other entrepreneurial interests in media and communications through KwaVuko Communications and Marketing.
Thabo Mothibi obtained his NQF7 through Wits University’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (P&DM) in Johannesburg, a Unilever Mandela Rhodes Academy for Marketing and Communications Academy (UMRA). The goal of the NQF7 programme was to educate and train public and private sector professional communicators and marketers in government communications..
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