Midlands Correspondent
Industry and International Trade Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu says counterfeit and pirated goods account for approximately 2,3 percent of total global imports, highlighting the scale of the threat posed by illicit products to consumers, legitimate businesses and national economies.
Speaking at the Second Annual Consumer Conference in Gokwe, Midlands Province, Ndlovu said Zimbabwe was grappling with the problem of counterfeit and pirated goods.
He said the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) inspected 54 443 businesses in 2025, removing 86 962 non-compliant products from the market and securing 5 656 prosecutions.
Of particular concern was the prevalence of counterfeit automotive products, including approximately 593 boxes containing 16 849 units of fake brake fluid.
“These figures are more than statistics, but speak to the real risks that counterfeit and unsafe products pose to consumers, legitimate businesses and the integrity of markets,” he said.
Ndlovu said the proliferation of counterfeit and unsafe products continued to undermine consumer confidence, business integrity and national economic performance, calling for a coordinated and sustained national response.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said Government would strengthen legislation to confiscate counterfeit and unsafe products at borders, in shops and on the informal market, while introducing tougher measures against manufacturers, smugglers, distributors and sellers.
He said the growing threat required Government to go beyond confiscating goods already on sale by strengthening preventative measures and conducting research to curb the distribution of illicit products.
“I challenge the Minister of Industry and Commerce to come up with deterrent legislation which is punitive to deal with manufacturers, smugglers, distributors and those who sell counterfeit or unsafe products,” he said.
Chiwenga said the growth of e-commerce had created opportunities for businesses and consumers but also increased exposure to fraud, counterfeit products, data breaches and exploitation.
He called on the CPC to establish robust and systematic surveillance of high-risk products, adopting a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
He said consumer protection was fundamental to public health, fair competition and economic confidence, adding that the ultimate goal was to create a transparent and competitive marketplace where businesses compete on quality and integrity.
CPC chairperson Respina Zinyanduko said the decision to host the conference in Gokwe reflected Government’s commitment to leaving no one and no place behind.
She said rural communities were particularly vulnerable because unscrupulous traders often dumped counterfeit products at growth points and in rural areas.
Zinyanduko said since beginning operations in 2023, the commission had extended its services to all 10 provinces, recording about 54 000 cases and 5 000 prosecutions this year alone.
The conference ran under the theme, “Safe Products for Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth, anchored in Consumer Protection.”
