the dti and Langeberg Municipality to Lead a Safe Paraffin Appliances Awareness Campaign in Ashton |
| The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) together with Langeberg Municipality, National Consumer Commission (NCC) and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) will lead a safe paraffin appliances awareness campaign that will take place at the Cogmanskloof Sport Fields in Ashton, Western Cape on Friday, 3 May 2019.
According to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, the campaign is aimed at raising awareness about the usage of safe paraffin stoves and to eliminate poor quality stoves that contribute to fires that often devastate informal settlements across the country. “The campaign is also aimed at improving inter-governmental cooperation and facilitates service delivery where the provision of safe consumer goods is concerned, and enable further face-to-face community engagements to make them aware of the risks posed by non-compliant products with regards to safety, health and matters of environmental protection as well as the rights of the consumers,” says Davies. The Municipal Manager of Langeberg Municipality, Mr Soyisile Mokweni says Langeberg Municipality is committed to improved service delivery, which does not stop at merely providing basic services to our communities. “We are constantly striving to find ways to address pressing community issues and to get everyone involved, active and prepared. The safety and protection of our residents is one such issue which the Langeberg Municipality does not take lightly. Vulnerable communities are often left exposed and exploited, especially during winter months when resources become scarce, forcing them to use cheap appliances to cook and keep warm,” says Mokweni. Mokweni adds that the campaign is a combined government effort, aimed at assisting communities to be informed and educated about their safety, protection and their rights as consumers. “Valuable information will be shared and I trust and encourage residents to take full advantage of this opportunity, because nothing is more rewarding than to have the knowledge and ability to actively protect ourselves,” he says. The Commissioner of the NCC, Mr Ebrahim Mohamed says that in terms of the Consumer Protection Act, consumers have a right to fair value, good quality and safety when it comes to transactions for goods or services with a supplier. According to Mohamed, consumers must know about and understand their consumer rights because it will enable them to be active citizens that insist on quality, and legally compliant products. “The knowledge and information that we will impart through this campaign will empower our people to key among others things, avoid unsafe and non-compliant paraffin stoves in the marketplace. It is very often than not, such products that trigger large scale fire devastation in communities around the country, during the cold seasons of the year,” added Mohamed. Enquiries: |
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