Consumer Council of Zimbabwe CEO, Rosemary Mpofu
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) has called for increased consumer education and awareness of the Consumer Protection Act, saying informed consumers are better equipped to protect themselves from unfair business practices.
Speaking during a media engagement workshop on Thursday, CCZ Chief Executive Officer Rosemary Mpofu said many Zimbabweans continue to lose out in the marketplace because they are not aware of their rights or where to seek help when disputes arise.
“An informed consumer is an empowered consumer. If a consumer is not informed, they do not know their rights and they can easily be abused in the marketplace because they are not empowered,” said Mpofu.
She said consumer education remains one of the council’s key priorities, adding that the media has an important role in ensuring the public understands its rights.
“Consumer education is very important and it will never be enough. We depend on the media because an informed society is indeed an empowered society,” she said.
Mpofu said the Consumer Protection Act, enacted in 2019 after years of advocacy, provides legal protection for consumers while also promoting fairness between consumers and businesses.
“The Act did not come just to favour consumers alone. It came to bring fairness between service providers and consumers. It has to be a win-win situation where consumers receive safe, quality goods and businesses operate responsibly,” said Mpofu.
She said the law guarantees consumers several fundamental rights, including the right to safe and quality goods and services, honest and complete information before making purchases, fair value for money, protection from unfair business practices and the right to refunds, repairs or replacements where appropriate.
Mpofu also reminded businesses that notices such as “No Returns, No Refunds” are prohibited under the Consumer Protection Act.
“It is now an offence to display such notices because consumers have rights under the law,” she said.
She said the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe has been designated under the Act to receive, investigate and facilitate the resolution of complaints relating to goods and services through conciliation and arbitration.
Mpofu emphasised that many consumers are still unaware that the organisation handles complaints daily and helps resolve disputes between consumers and suppliers without the need for lengthy court processes.
“Our consumer protection officers handle consumer complaints every day. Unfortunately, many people do not know that we are here or where to find us when they have challenges,” she said.
She also revealed that consumer awareness has become even more important as the marketplace continues to evolve, with online shopping, counterfeit products, digital scams, misleading advertising, unfair contracts and digital financial services among the growing challenges affecting consumers.
“Online shopping scams and counterfeit products are among the top complaints that we are receiving. These emerging issues require timely, accurate and credible information, and this is where the media becomes very important,” she said.
She urged journalists to report more on consumer issues so that Zimbabweans are aware of their rights and the protections available under the Consumer Protection Act.
Mpofu said a well-informed public would not only protect consumers from exploitation but also encourage businesses to improve the quality, safety and fairness of the goods and services they provide.
