Customer and Consumer Rights: The Zimbabwean

Transcript:Customer and Consumer Rights: The Zimbabwean:
Customer and Consumer Rights: The Zimbabwean Perspective Presentation by Ms. R. Siyachitema Executive Director of the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe lacks a definitive Consumer Protection Mechanism at law, with the result that.... While it is regionally and universally* acknowledged that the consumer has rights... In Zimbabwe these are only upheld through a system of the ‘good will’ of the supplier or service provider. Further, For redress, the only consumer watch-dog in the country operates from a platform of ‘persuasion’, with the service providers not duty-bound to conform to the issues raised by the CCZ. As a result, most consumers are not aware of having consumer rights and those who are do not get any meaningful redress due to the absence of the legal framework underpinning the respect of their consumer rights. Background 2 The hyper-inflationary era between 2005-09 refers. The attitude was ‘the consumer should be grateful to be receiving a service, any service’ This attitude became the default operational attitude and thrived mainly because there was no legal framework by way of a CPA to challenge it. The concept of consumer rights was ignored. The undercurrents of such an attitude are still with us in many ways to this day. BRIEF CONTEXT Customer and consumer rights in the absence of a Consumer protection mechanism. Consumer and customer rights in this context are UNSUSTAINABLE. Practices are arbitrary and often serve the interests of all but the consumer. Seemingly meaningful noises are made relating to treating the 'customer as king’ At times, frameworks appear to be in place including... functional toll free numbers & call centres, pro-active customer relations complaints desks, commitments for redress But consumer rights are broader and deeper than this. For starters, like all other rights, They need to universalised, holding true everywhere and at all times under the same circumstances in the same jurisdiction. Presently such considerations as race, gender, location of business and income bracket inform service providers’ and suppliers’ attitude. In addition, the present environment has nurtured the entrenchment of dominant-to-quasi monopolies that have consistently robbed the consuming public of the right to choice and competitive services. Customer and consumer rights in the absence of a Consumer protection mechanism. Regionally the SADC Declaration on Regional Competition and Consumer Policies and globally the UN Guidelines on Consumer Policies *recognise and enunciate the rights of the consumer. Further, the two bodies require signatory governments to accordingly