Unsafe products worth more than R3 million were destroyed today by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) in Pretoria. These products were found in the market by NRCS inspectors while conducting routine inspection. Products ranged from ranged from heaters, cordless kettles, televisions, radios, remote controllers, adaptors, motor helmets, cellphone chargers, food dehydrators, lawn mowers, emergency lights, Christmas lights, iron, toasters, power tools and grinders.
While addressing the function, Trade and Industry Minister, Dr Rob Davies said that the illicit economy damaged jobs and as a country we needed to come up with new ways of fighting it to protect consumers.
“We now have in place the National Consumer Commission empowered to enforce new sets of consumer rights. Consumers who are sold products that do not conform to these set standards have rights to recourse against retailers who sell this unsafe and sub-standards which are causing damage to the people,” said Davies.
The Minister added that the NRCS should work very closely with the National Consumer Commission to educate people, including in informal settlements where fires break out, that they can claim against manufacturers of products that are substandard.
According to Davies NRCS plays a vital role by locking in and locking out non-compliant products from the South African market.
NRCS CEO Moses Moeletsi stated that the destruction function underpins reasons behind the creation of NRCS, to protect the citizens of this country by removing all non-compliant commodities from the market and thus creating a safer environment within which people can leave. Moeletsi said that they plan to intensify their work by partnering with key stakeholders such as the South African Revenue Service, and the Police, among others.
“One of the ways of doing this is by adopting a Risk-Based Approach (RBA) in all that we do and by partnering with industry bodies and other agencies to ensure maximum potential compliance with applicable legislation and regulation,” he said.
For more information, please contact:
Mirriam Moswaane
Cell: 083 364 2007
Tel: 012 428 6848
Sidwell Medupe
Cell: 079 492 1774
Tel: 012 394 1620
Source: Department of Trade and Industry
