Zimbabwe cracks down on counterfeit goods

Rutendo Mazhindu

Zim Now Reporter

Zimbabwe has intensified its efforts to eradicate the sale of counterfeit products, driven by mounting concerns over the health risks they pose to consumers. This Tuesday, a routine inspection in downtown Harare uncovered a significant number of tuck shops stocking fake goods, including large quantities of illicitly packaged mealie meal.

The operation saw inspectors from the Consumer Protection Commission and the Trade Measures Department, operating under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, accompanied by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Their investigation into the prevalence of fake products was prompted by whistle-blower reports.

Nyasha Mudita, Quality Assurance Supervisor for National Foods Limited, identified one of the seized items, stating, "This is the fake Pearlenta which is not even our product. You can see all the features of the commodity do not tally with our prescribed trade or logo features, meaning that there is something being done in terms of what they are doing here. Now the next step is to look at the contents or what is inside after realising or discovering wrong packaging.”

Tom Muleya from the Research and Public Affairs Department for the Consumer Protection Commission, urged the public to exercise caution: “The exercise is on-going and we are calling on members of the public to be vigilant when doing grocery shopping as most of these products have fake logos or trademarks.”

Echoing this sentiment, Tawedzerwa Muwani, Regional Inspector of Trade Measures for Harare Metropolitan, condemned the illicit trade. “What we have seen today is an act of illicit deals to the detriment of the consumers, so going forward we call on the retailers and consumers to be vigilant of the goods they buy or trade so that they are not found as victims on the wrong side of the law,” he warned.

The confiscated fake products have been handed over to the police for further investigations, signalling the government's commitment to holding perpetrators accountable.