Some consumers have raised concerns about local supermarkets in Bulawayo selling expired goods disguised as specials.
Consumers who spoke to CITE revealed that a local shop (name supplied) was selling products like tomato sauce for US$0.30.
When a CITE news crew visited the shop on Tuesday, the products had already been cleared from the shelves.
“I went to a local shop and saw them selling products under the guise of a special, which is a serious concern. They are cutting down prices by more than half of the actual price, but those products will have a day or less before they expire,” said the source.
“In this economy, where people are struggling, they will buy these products to take advantage of the low prices, not considering the potential health risks,” the source added.
Another source who also saw the product said the brand of tomato sauce was being sold for US$0.30, while its normal price is close to US$1.00 or more.
“The challenge is that the expiry date is an estimated date of expiry. It could be that the product was manufactured 10 days before it was stamped to say it expires on such a date, so maybe that product will be already expired,” the source said.
Godknows Zhou from the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) of Zimbabwe said “In cases where expired products pose health risks and involve unfair business practices, once the Commission detects it, we prosecute.”
Zhou said CPC is currently conducting consumer education and awareness.
“We have been proactive because our response is twofold. First, we respond to complaints lodged by consumers. We believe that our education and awareness division, in conjunction with other regulators and stakeholders, is currently empowering consumers to detect expired or substandard products and report to the Commission,” he said.
“Once a report has been lodged, a consumer can enforce it on their own, report to the Commission, or approach the court. We then investigate and prosecute the offenders. According to Section 51 of the Consumer Protection Act, the supplier is mandated to ensure that the product he displays for sale is of good quality and fully valid, not expired. We prosecute along those lines.”
He added that the Commission has been carrying out random enforcement blitzes on local supermarkets.
“Secondly, we have our inspectors. We have been in Bulawayo, all over the place, carrying out blitzes and random enforcement unannounced. When we identify such offences, we arrest the offenders. When it involves retailers and manufacturers, the fine is up to level 14 and above, and it has to be more than their annual gross profit.”
“Besides arresting them, in the worst-case scenario, it can result in the revocation of the operator’s license,” said Zhou.
