WINDHOEK- The Executive Director of the Namibia Consumer Trust, Michael Gaweseb, is of the opinion that Namibians are too tolerant of consumer abuse.
“People regard it normal to wait for hours at hospitals without being attended to,” said Gaweseb who yesterday responded to questions by New Era regarding service delivery in the country. Namibians are also considered tolerant when prices of essential goods are managed in such a way as to favour the producers, Gaweseb said. For example, people will pay for furniture over a period of a year-and-a-half and forfeit such furniture since they might have skipped a few months before settling their accounts completely, he said. “This kind of consumer behaviour is largely influenced by the lack of consumer rights awareness among consumers themselves and encourages abuse. This is being interpreted as the market being able to absorb, thus consumer abuse is extreme in the sense that maximum prices are charged since consumers do not complain or take action against abuse,” he said.
He said consumer education is a matter of public interest and it is therefore government’s obligation. “Consumers in Namibia should raise their voices because the risk is that the state of affairs can continue for the next 20 years,” said Gaweseb. He further said the Namibian government does not appreciate or comprehend consumer rights issues, saying it is mind-boggling that the country does not have a comprehensive consumer protection law 23 years after independence.
By Alvine Kapitako