Online Reporter
Oliver Kazunga
Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has moved to end fragmented consumer protection by uniting regulators under a coordinated framework that promises faster complaint resolution, coordinated investigations and tougher enforcement across key sectors of the economy.
The new approach, unveiled at the Inaugural Regulators Forum in Harare on Friday, will see regulators strengthen collaboration in handling complaints that increasingly cut across sectors such as telecommunications, financial services, transport, health services, energy and digital commerce.
In a speech read on his behalf by the deputy director in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Mrs Petronella Masunda, Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Mangaliso Ndlovu said the growing complexity of today’s markets demanded closer cooperation among regulators to eliminate duplication, improve service delivery and ensure consumers received effective remedies whenever their rights were violated.
“Effective consumer protection can only be achieved through close collaboration among regulators,” he said.
“No single institution possesses all the resources, expertise or jurisdiction necessary to respond effectively to today’s increasingly sophisticated consumer protection challenges.
“The increasingly complex nature of today’s markets means that consumer protection challenges no longer fall neatly within the mandate of a single institution.”
“Many consumer complaints cut across multiple regulated sectors, such as telecommunications, financial services, energy, transport, health services and digital commerce.”
In the past, consumers have raised varying complaints ranging from suboptimal goods and services in relation to quality and quantity as well as the influx of counterfeit products in the local market
Under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2 2026-2030), the Government is seized with intensifying efforts to curb the rising tide of counterfeits in local markets, a problem posing serious threats to consumer safety, business profitability and the country’s reputation globally.
The forum, which was held under the theme, “Strengthening Consumer Protection Across Regulated Sectors,” was attended by regulators that include the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, Deposit Protection Corporation, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Competition and Tariff Commission, and Insurance and Pensions Commission as well as product manufacturers associations such as the Clothing Manufacturers Association of Zimbabwe, Bakers Association of Zimbabwe, and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.
“This forum therefore provides an invaluable platform for regulators to exchange experiences, identify emerging risks, harmonise enforcement approaches and strengthen cooperation in addressing cross-sector consumer protection challenges.
“I therefore encourage all regulatory authorities to strengthen their cooperation through timely information sharing, coordinated inspections and investigations, harmonised complaint handling procedures, joint consumer education programmes and continuous engagement on emerging regulatory issues,” he said.
Dr Ndlovu said the Government was committed to building a coordinated, responsive and accountable regulatory environment that placed consumers at the centre of national development.
Against this background, he said, the forum marked a major step in implementing the Consumer Protection Act by fostering practical collaboration among regulatory institutions while preserving their respective mandates.
“The Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) is not intended to replace any sector regulator or duplicate their responsibilities.
“The commission works alongside sector regulators to harmonise approaches, strengthen complaint handling mechanisms and guarantee that consumers receive comprehensive protection regardless of the industry in which they transact,” he said.
Dr Ndlovu called on regulatory authorities to deepen collaboration through timely information sharing, coordinated inspections and investigations, harmonised complaint-handling procedures, joint consumer education programmes and continuous engagement on emerging regulatory issues.
“Such collaboration will improve regulatory efficiency, eliminate unnecessary duplication, promote consistent enforcement and ensure that consumers receive timely, fair and effective remedies whenever their rights are violated,” he said.
Dr Ndlovu said the Government had already reinforced the country’s consumer protection framework through the CPC and the recently approved Consumer Protection Policy (2026-2030), which complements the Consumer Protection Act by advancing consumer welfare.
The policy framework is expected to play a critical role in building trust in locally manufactured goods at a time when the Government is pushing for increased domestic production and import substitution.
The policy sets out Zimbabwe’s comprehensive framework for safeguarding consumer rights, bringing together previously fragmented sectoral approaches under a single, unified national policy.
Although Zimbabwe enacted the Consumer Protection Act (Chapter 14:44) in March 2019, the Consumer Protection Policy goes further by providing a structured and coordinated framework for the implementation, enforcement and monitoring of consumer rights and business conduct.
The policy also seeks to promote fair markets, thus protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive and abusive trade practices, while advancing the availability of quality goods through strengthened product safety measures and mandatory standards across all sectors.
Dr Ndlovu noted that stronger consumer protection was critical to Zimbabwe’s industrialisation agenda, noting that fair competition, responsible manufacturing, ethical trading practices and effective market surveillance were essential for sustainable economic growth.
“Ultimately, our collective success will not be measured by the number of institutions we represent, but the extent to which Zimbabwean consumers experience fair, safer markets and greater confidence in our regulatory systems,” he said.
Dr Ndlovu said a well-regulated marketplace would protect responsible businesses, attract investment and strengthen Zimbabwe’s competitiveness while supporting the implementation of the National Development Strategy 2 and the country’s Vision 2030 of becoming an upper-middle-income economy.
In her remarks at the forum, CPC board chair Commissioner Respina Zinyanduko
said regulators would now submit quarterly consumer protection reports to the commission, with consolidated annual reports to be tabled before Parliament.
“The commission will therefore be approaching all the regulators here present with a request to submit quarterly reports on all consumer matters being addressed by each regulator.
“This will form part of the consolidated report that will be submitted by the Ministry of Industrial and Commere to the Parliament of Zimbabwe at the end of each year.
And to foster a unified approach to consumer protection, the CPC has been approaching all regulatory authorities requesting for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.
“Since the commission’s operationalisation in 2023, we have signed four MOUs with the different regulators.
“The commission is still pursuing those institutions who have not yet signed those MoUs with a view to doing so with the commission,” she said.
