Online ReporterBlessings Chidakwa
Herald Reporter
A CRACKDOWN on counterfeit and smuggled goods in the country has revealed that almost half of the groceries on the shelves of illegal tuck shops and vending stalls are fake, underweight and pose serious health hazards.
Further, four tonnes of goods confiscated during the ongoing crackdown were destroyed at Geo Pomona Waste Management as the Government takes no chances in eliminating counterfeit products on the shelves.
Among the most prevalent fake goods were petroleum jelly, lotions, flour and toothpaste with some also being noted to be underweight products. Some of the fakes use similar products in the packaging of popular and genuine brands.
Last year, an inter-Ministerial Task Force was set up to curb smuggling and counterfeit goods.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, chief director for commerce in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Mr Douglas Runyowa said the law enforcement agents were doing a splendid job exposing fake products.
“I would like to, not to scare you, but to advise you that we recently carried out a survey with the Standards Association of Zimbabwe where we went and bought products from the shelf and took them for testing and compared what was written in the results; 50 percent of the products did not comply. You can see fake Vaseline, fake flour, fake rice, fake toothpaste and this is an alarming rate,” he said.
Mr Runyowa warned against buying products seen as cheap from unscrupulous dealers as some are harmful to their health.
According to the Consumer Protection Act Section 31 (2) (a), it is a crime to sell products whose labels and trade descriptions are manipulated to mislead consumers.
Those arrested for defrauding consumers are charged and liable to a fine not exceeding level six or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year; or to both fine and imprisonment.
Also, using illegal measuring equipment is a clear violation of the Trade Measures Act and the Consumer Protection Act.
This week, counterfeit, substandard and underweight products were destroyed at the Geo Pomona Waste Management site in Harare as part of an ongoing crackdown by the anti-smuggling taskforce.
Speaking during the destruction, Consumer Protection Commission director Mr Kudakwashe Mudereri said they were concerned about the influx of illegal and counterfeit goods on the informal market.
“We have seen a sudden proliferation of counterfeit and substandard products, expired goods, and underweight products flooding the market,” Mr Mudereri said.
“This operation was conducted to safeguard our consumers because many of these products pose serious health risks.
“We have partnered with Geo Pomona to ensure that all products that do not meet required standards are destroyed so they do not pose a danger to consumers,” he said.
Harare Metropolitan anti-smuggling taskforce coordinator Mr Tawedzera Muwani assured the public that confiscated goods would not be sold or used.
“This is just the beginning,” Mr Muwani said. “Smuggled and illegal goods, including those that are substandard, will be destroyed. We do not take them home, and we do not allow them to re-enter the market.”
He acknowledged the collaborative effort among Government agencies in combating smuggling and counterfeit trade.
“We extend our gratitude to all the Government entities we have worked with, including the City of Harare, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, CPC and ZRP,” he said.
“By destroying these goods, we are showing our commitment to eradicating illegal and substandard products from the market.”
A significant operation targeting counterfeit products has resulted in the prosecution of over 90 businesses in Zimbabwe, with a shop in Bindura, suspected of being a major supplier of illegally repacked sugar, closed.
Police recently recovered 681 boxes of counterfeit brake fluid and prime bond multi-purpose adhesives that were being sold to unsuspecting customers at Keacy Motor Spares along Harare Street.
The 88 boxes of prime bond (8 800 units) and 593 boxes of brake fluid (26 000 units) were recovered by a team of officers from the ZRP Licence Inspectorate who were on patrol.
