The ANC government is committed to consumer protection, Jeff Radebe , Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, said on Friday.<\/p>\n
He was addressing a conference hosted by the National Consumer Forum in Midrand.<\/p>\n
“The consumer is often seen as powerless against big corporations,” Radebe said.<\/p>\n
“In this context we must tackle the exploitation of the consumer by producers, distributors and retailers.”<\/p>\n
Radebe said in the present difficult economic environment, consumers’ rights were often undermined by big business in a quest to maintain profits.<\/p>\n
The minister noted that many consumers did not understand their rights.<\/p>\n
“You shouldn’t have to be a lawyer to understand. A system must be created whereby all consumers can understand their rights,” he said.<\/p>\n
It was also necessary to take into account new shopping habits such as online shopping, the minister said.<\/p>\n
“We have to be able to tackle e-crime now and to investigate online scams that occur to the detriment of the consumer,” Radebe said.<\/p>\n
Consumers also had to be assisted in recovering losses when they had become victims of unscrupulous producers or retailers.<\/p>\n
“Enforcement must be encouraged,” Radebe said.<\/p>\n
The minister praised the National Credit Act, adding that to a large extent, government had been able to deal with those who sold people products they did not need and those who harassed consumers via SMS and email.<\/p>\n
However, he identified debt collectors as a problem, saying the system needed to be transformed so that their conduct could be monitored.<\/p>\n
The minister also pointed a finger at the auction industry saying it “disregarded consumers’ rights”.<\/p>\n
He said repossessed items were often sold on auctions for a price that did not cover the consumer’s debt.<\/p>\n
“So the consumer loses his furniture and still has to pay the difference,” he said.<\/p>\n
Radebe said the Competition Commission was “doing a sterling job” when it came to combating price fixing.<\/p>\n
“Looking ahead what we need to do is to strengthen legislation to mete out punishment for those breaking the law,” he said.<\/p>\n