Consumer Protection (Consumer Council of Zimbabwe Designation) Regulations, 2024
The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe is now a designated Consumer Protection Organisation, able to conciliate and arbitrate disputes between consumers and businesses instead of only referring them on.
The Minister of Industry and Commerce has designated the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe as a Consumer Protection Organisation under the Consumer Protection Act, specifically for conducting conciliation and arbitration of disputes between parties.
That gives the Council a formal dispute-resolution role. A consumer with a complaint against a supplier now has a designated body that can conciliate, and where the parties go that route, arbitrate — rather than the matter having to start in court.
The regulations are one operative sentence long. They set no procedure, no fees for conciliation or arbitration, no time limits and no commencement date. How the Council will actually run these matters is not in this instrument, so businesses and consumers should expect the detail to come from the Council's own processes and from the Act.
What changed
- The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe is designated as a Consumer Protection Organisation under the Consumer Protection Act
- The designation is for the purpose of conducting conciliation and arbitration of disputes between parties
Who this affects
- consumers with complaints against suppliers
- retailers, service providers and other suppliers facing consumer complaints
- the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe
- lawyers advising on consumer disputes
Plain-language summary — not legal advice. Always read the full instrument.