Over 85 000 fake groceries removed from shelves

OVER 80 000 non-compliant items have been removed from the market in the past four months as part of a nationwide crackdown by Government on counterfeit and unsafe goods.

Authorities have seized food items such as cooking oil, drinks, baked beans, milk, meat, maize meal, rice and sugar, finding many are underweight or repackaged as well as fake, plus counterfeit toothpaste, detergents, petroleum jelly, flour and electrical appliances.

Officials warned that some products contained harmful substances, toxic additives and spoiled ingredients, posing serious health risks to consumers.

Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said the blitz, led by the Business Malpractices Taskforce, had intensified enforcement of consumer protection regulations across the country.

“Since April 2025, a total of 54 443 businesses have been inspected nationwide,” Minister Ndlovu told delegates at the consumer affairs and anti-counterfeit workshop organised by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) last week.

“From those inspections, 86 962 non-compliant products have been removed from circulation, 6 823 compliance notices issued and 5 656 prosecutions finalised.”

The minister said the figures underlined both the scale of malpractice in the market and Government’s determination to address it.

“These efforts are not just about punishing offenders, but about correcting bad practices, fostering fair trade, ensuring product standards, and helping businesses align with national regulations,” he said.

Minister Ndlovu warned that counterfeit and unsafe products, from expired foodstuffs and fake agricultural inputs to mislabelled pharmaceuticals, posed grave dangers to consumers and the economy.

“The consequences are real and far-reaching. They can cause loss of life, destroy industries and threaten jobs. That is why we call upon retailers, wholesalers, supply chain actors and even informal traders to embrace a culture of compliance,” he said.

Ethical retailing had to go beyond simply avoiding penalties.

“It is about building consumer trust and creating a market that investors respect,” he said.

Minister Ndlovu reaffirmed Government’s commitment to supporting the retail and manufacturing sectors through clear policy, robust enforcement and stronger engagement with stakeholders.
Via Herald