Customer is still the king

The listeriosis outbreak, which started in South Africa last year, and has resulted in the death of nearly 200 people because of contaminated ready-to-eat meat products that are widely consumed, brings the issue of consumer protection back into the spotlight. For many years, consumer groups in Namibia have been lobbying government to implement the Consumer Protection Act that will empower consumers to lodge complaints about service providers and also promote ethical business practises. Cabinet last year approved the National Consumer Protection Policy for implementation and a bill in this regard is yet to be passed by parliament. There is a lot at stake, particularly for businesses, and adhering to good practices and taking care of consumers should be seen as integral to both brand and reputation. Northern businessman David 'Kambwa' Sheehama this week made startling allegations against some foreign businesses, which he claims are selling Namibians inferior products that are at times repackaged to appear genuine. Another concern raised by Sheehama is that customers are also being sold items with false litre and metre amounts indicated. The concerns raised by the businessman are not new and many Namibians have grown accustomed to poor customer service over the years. They have grown to tolerate it, in the absence of a legislation protecting consumer interests. It is unbelievable that despite the United Nations providing guidelines around issues of consumer protection, our government appears to have taken a lax attitude toward this essential piece of legislation. As clearly outlined by the eloquent Milton Louw from the Namibian Consumer Protection Group, there is a need to directly protect consumers from shoddy service and low quality products. The status quo of consumers being bullied by businesses should be a thing of the past. Consumers can no longer be taken for a ride. Equally the Namibia Standards Institution (NSI) and the Namibia Competition Commission (NaCC) must do everything possible to ensure there is fair marketing and business practices within the various sectors of our nation. The Consumer Protection Act must at the end of the day provide a mechanism for redress, when it comes to defective goods and service deficiencies.