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SHORTAGES have over the years given birth to unscrupulous chancers masquerading as entrepreneurs, and there is no better time for conmen (and women) to profit from the gullible masses than now when there are frequent shortages of goods.
In our previous edition we carried an article on the sale of fake indigenous country (road runner) chicks. This has been going on for a while due to the shortages of day-old chicks to meet rising demand.
We believe players in the sector need to craft a code of ethics in order to weed out fly by night dealers that are ripping off customers by offering the wrong product at low prices.
As we are now in the festive season, shoppers are likely to be promised out of this world deals, and due to the price increase madness and shortages of some products, this might see some desperate shoppers falling for the ruse.
The festive season is associated with much travel and so many people may have to endure the inconvenience of queuing for petrol for long hours, and such a scenario could cause some of them to resort to the black market.
While we cannot stop anyone from buying petrol from the shady markets, we wish to warn against such practice since some of the dealers might sell contaminated fuel, mixed with some other substances so that they make more money. This could prove to be costly in the long run as such a substance could severely damage a car engine.
A shortage of some products leads some individuals to provide cheaper substitutes and sometimes this is where fake products flood the market as the dealers try to keep up with demand.
It is important for our people to be careful of where they get their meat this Christmas.
Are you sure that the meat you buy from someone’s backyard is actually beef?
How certain are you that the white meat you brought from the street is actually chicken?
These are key questions that customers need to ask themselves before settling for a street purchase.
We raise these concerns because we have had reports of mourners being fed donkey meat while skinned dog carcasses have also been discovered in the past.
While we cannot stop these unscrupulous people from trying their luck in the market, we can safeguard our health and pockets by ensuring that we buy from trusted sources.
The fake products range from food to fuel and even beauty products that make wild claims while delivering almost the exact opposite.
Let us, therefore, watch out for suspicious bargains so that we enjoy the festive season without the stress of having been duped of large amounts of money. Also, where you come across these criminals, do not turn a blind eye but report to the authorities so that we rid our communities of such crime.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu