The announcement was made by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Zhemu Soda during the fifth post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare on Tuesday. Said Soda:
“Cabinet considered and approved the Consumer Protection Policy, which was presented by the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion as the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on National Development Planning.
“Government has developed the Consumer Protection Policy (2026–2030) aimed at safeguarding consumer rights in an increasingly complex and dynamic marketplace.
“The Policy serves to regulate the supply of goods and services, safeguard the rights of consumers and promote fair trading practices in the marketplace. T
“The framework also promotes the production of quality goods and services in order to meet the needs of an empowered consumer, ultimately improving the country’s domestic and international competitiveness.
“The Consumer Protection Policy closes the existing legislative and institutional gaps, strengthens coordination among agencies and promotes fair, transparent and accountable practices across all sectors of the economy.
“The Consumer Protection Policy is anchored on strategic pillars, namely: Institutional Architecture for Consumer Protection; Dispute Resolution and Redress Mechanism; Legal and Regulatory Framework; Product Safety and Quality of Goods and Services; Counterfeit and Illicit Trade; Consumer Education and Awareness; Regional Integration and International Cooperation; and e-Commerce and Digital Transactions.
“The pillars entail, among other objectives, strengthening Consumer Protection institutions; intensification of ongoing market compliance checks; enforcement of consumer rights and welfare through clear dispute resolution guidelines; the establishment of a dedicated Anti-Counterfeiting Framework; and the rollout of comprehensive consumer education programmes. Other policy actions include the review of legal instruments governing digital transactions and the strengthening of the Consignment-Based Conformity Assessment system in the country.
“The Policy has a robust monitoring and evaluation framework for effective consumer participation and improved business compliance.”