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Your Money, Your Call
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
ON the bustling streets of Harare, hawkers peddle their wares with fervour.
It is the same case downtown, where several tuckshops are filled to the brim with all types of groceries.
But besides being tuckshops — catering for final consumers of products — they are also now doubling as “wholesalers” for fellow small shop owners who operate outside the central business district.
The small traders, who mainly run their businesses in residential areas, are now opting to get most of their stuff for retail from city tuckshops, as they are perceived to be cheap and, in some instances, have flexible payment plans.
However, some counterfeit products are unfortunately among the goods being traded in these outlets.
Unsuspecting consumers are being deceived outright, while their lives are being put at risk through untested and substandard products.
For long, the country has grappled with an influx of fake goods, mainly from countries like Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa.
The products include household cleaning agents, foodstuff and alcoholic beverages that are imitations of trusted brands.
Some consumers have even been hospitalised due to side effects of counterfeit products.
I recall my own experience when I purchased a bottle of a certain dishwashing detergent from a neighbourhood tuckshop.
The familiar yellow label promised sparkling dishes and grease-fighting prowess.
Yet, upon using it, I discovered a watery concoction that lacked the thick formula I have become accustomed to.
I then discovered that it was a counterfeit, cunningly packaged to resemble the real deal.
Not long after, I encountered another counterfeit, and this time around, it was a washing powder.
Twice, I bought it from different tuckshops hoping for effective laundry results, but, alas, it proved to be a sham.
I poured copious amounts into my laundry water but to no effect.
The deception left me frustrated and questioning the authenticity of every product on the shelves.
One of the popular toothpaste brands trending on social media has different logo placements and advertised weight, though the packages appear to be the same size.
One brand is marked 140g, while the other is inscribed 100ml.
Consumers are getting a raw deal.
These fake products not only waste our hard-earned money but also endanger our health.
Imagine unknowingly using counterfeit baby formula or medication!
This is potentially life-threatening.
The lack of quality control and oversight allows unscrupulous “manufacturers” to get away with “murder”.
The Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ), which is tasked with ensuring product quality and safety, plays a pivotal role.
Their product mark certification scheme guarantees the goods are produced under approved systems of supervision and control.
Certified products bear the association’s mark, assuring consumers of authenticity.
However, more needs to be done.
SAZ and other relevant bodies should conduct frequent checks on product quality and compliance, as well as collaborate with retailers and educate consumers.
We need a collective effort to combat this menace.
They should take a leaf from the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera), which stands as a beacon of hope.
Zera conducts impromptu checks on service stations and dealers to ensure they are licensed and selling fuel of the correct quality.
In December 2023, Zera exposed six service stations in Bulawayo for flouting the standard operating regulations and duping motorists by selling contaminated fuel and blended fuel claiming it was unleaded.
The culprits were fined various amounts of money for going against the law and risked losing their licences.
As consumers, we must remain vigilant.
Let us learn to scrutinise labels, question suspiciously low prices and make reports on counterfeit products. We must demand genuine, safe goods and hold manufacturers accountable. Only then can we reclaim our trust and protect our families from the hidden perils lurking on our store shelves.
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing consultant with a strong passion for customer experience. For comments, suggestions and trainings, she can be reached at: [email protected] or at +263712979461, 0719978335, 0772978335.
Online Reporter