Chiwenga Orders One Licence Source, Warns Online Shopping Is Exposing Zimbabweans to Fraud

Story By Staff Reporter

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has called on government ministries to work together on business licensing. In addition, he warned that online shopping is exposing Zimbabweans to fraud and counterfeit goods. The Vice-President spoke at the second annual Consumer Conference in Gokwe, Midlands Province.

Ministries Must Work Together

Chiwenga urged all relevant ministries, local authorities and industry to act swiftly. According to him, they must restore confidence in the country’s markets. Furthermore, he asked them to make sure consumer rights are respected in everyday transactions.

Regulators, he said, must work as one. Among the bodies he named were the Standards Association of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and local authorities. “Information sharing, joint operations, and clear accountability must become routine features of our enforcement response,” he said.

One Source for Business Licences

Chiwenga said he had discussed licensing with the responsible minister. As a result, he wants business licences to come from one coordinated source. Under his proposal, industry, local government and health authorities would work together when they issue licences.

Businesses operating without the proper licences, he warned, put public health at risk. Unsafe products can cause illness and death. For this reason, government will not tolerate them.

New Policy Gives Regulators More Power

Government has developed Zimbabwe’s first consumer protection policy, Chiwenga said. The policy lets regulators act proactively through surveillance and enforcement. However, he stressed that these interventions must be intelligence-led, evidence-based and coordinated.

In addition, the Vice-President directed the Consumer Protection Commission to set up systematic surveillance of high-risk products. Overall, he called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.

Online Shopping: Opportunity and Risk

E-commerce offers real opportunities for businesses and consumers, Chiwenga said. For example, it can widen market access, encourage innovation and make goods and services more accessible.

However, he warned that it also creates risks. “It also creates exposure to fraud, counterfeit products, data breaches and exploitation of unsuspecting consumers,” he said.

Vendor Verification and Redress

The country urgently needs strong cybersecurity frameworks, Chiwenga said. Besides this, he called for vendor verification and consumer redress mechanisms. In practice, this means checking that online sellers are genuine. It also means giving buyers a way to get help when something goes wrong.

Additionally, regional harmonisation will support safe cross-border trade, he said. To illustrate, he pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Awareness and Digital Literacy

Public awareness campaigns, Chiwenga said, must build digital literacy. Therefore, they should help consumers transact responsibly online.

Finally, he asked delegates to move beyond discussion to practical commitments. Ultimately, he wants a marketplace where every consumer participates with confidence and every responsible business competes fairly.