Online Reporter
Your Money, Your Call-Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
ON Friday last week, I visited a popular abattoir and butchery along Seke Road, intending to buy meat.
As I turned off the main road, a group of men intercepted me just outside the premises.
They were dressed in white gumboots, aprons and hats — attire typically worn by abattoir staff — and their uniforms even bore the slaughterhouse’s name.
They confidently claimed to be employees selling their staff meat rations at a discount.
They tried to divert me from the official butchery, insisting their meat was cheaper and just as good.
Something about the encounter felt wrong. I declined their offer and went inside the butchery.
When I asked the lady who served me about the men, her casual but concerning response was: “They are vendors pretending to be staff. They made those uniforms themselves.”
When I asked what management was doing, she shrugged: “They are tired of dealing with them. They just let them be.”
This response shocked me.
There is no signage warning customers about these impersonators.
As a result, some buyers, believing they are dealing with legitimate staff, have unknowingly purchased underweight or even rotten meat.
Since these transactions happen outside the official premises, there is no receipt, no accountability and no way to make a claim.
This is not just a case of informal vending; it is a clear violation of consumer rights.
Zimbabwe’s Consumer Protection Act (Chapter 14:44]) is explicit.
Section 36 prohibits false and misleading representations, including any conduct that deceives consumers about a supplier’s identity or the nature, quality or origin of goods.
Section 37 goes further, outlawing fraudulent schemes and offers designed to mislead or exploit buyers.
By dressing in counterfeit uniforms and posing as abattoir staff, these vendors are in violation of both.
However, the responsibility does not lie with the vendors alone.
Business owners and operators have a legal and ethical duty to protect their customers.
Consumer protection is not a passive obligation; it requires active measures.
The abattoir’s failure to erect warning signs, enforce uniform standards or remove these impersonators is a breach of that duty.
It undermines public trust and exposes customers to health risks and financial loss.
The Consumer Protection Commission must investigate this practice and ensure the rights enshrined in the Act are upheld.
This is not an isolated incident; it is a systemic failure that demands regulatory attention.
The commission must hold businesses accountable for the safety and transparency of their operations and take decisive action against fraudulent schemes that exploit consumer trust.
As a customer and a community advocate, I felt compelled to speak out — not just for myself, but for many others who may not know the difference between a vendor and a legitimate employee.
The trust we place in branded uniforms and business premises should not be exploited.
When deception leads to health risks, the consequences go far beyond a bad purchase.
It is time for the abattoir’s management to take responsibility.
Clear signage should be placed at the entrance to warn customers.
Security personnel should be empowered to remove vendors who masquerade as abattoir staff. And the authorities must enforce the Consumer Protection Act with urgency and consistency.
Consumers deserve better.
We deserve transparency, safety and the assurance that when we walk into a business, we are not walking into a trap. Until action is taken, the white gumboots at the gate will continue to mislead, and the cost will be ours to bear.
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing and customer service consultant, customer experience columnist, and sales and service trainer. Contact details: [email protected] or +263712979461, 0719978335, 0772978335, www.customersuccess.co.zw
