Online Reporter
Judith Phiri,Zimpapers Business Hub
CMED has sounded the alarm on a wave of counterfeit car parts and dodgy maintenance products that could turn your car into a death trap.
From fake brake fluid to bogus prime bond silicon, rogue dealers are flooding the market with counterfeit items and the consequences could be deadly.
Dr Zebediah Chitanha, CMED’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, dropped the bombshell during a panel discussion at the Public Procurement Symposium in Bulawayo on Tuesday.
“There’s need to check the supply chain from where these motor vehicle spare parts and maintenance products are coming from,” warned Dr Chitanha. “You’ll find people buying from those little backstreet shops. Some of them were recently busted for selling counterfeit products.”
He gave a chilling example: “When you buy fake brake fluids, it means that at some of the speeds you travel, the moment you hit the brakes, they might not respond. That’s a serious safety risk.”
Dr Chitanha said these crooks are using clever branding and packaging to trick buyers into thinking they’re getting the real deal.
He urged the public to only buy from suppliers registered with the Motor Industry Association of Zimbabwe (MIAZ).
“Even for the service and maintenance of your vehicles, use registered places. As CMED, we are also a MIAZ member and we ensure we do due diligence when we procure spares and services,” he said.
The warning comes after law enforcement agents recently swooped on some auto parts dealers and arrested them for supplying fake and potentially dangerous vehicle products.
