Blessing Nduku

Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube has called for stronger measures to protect consumers from unsafe and illegal products, as Gokwe South hosted the 2026 Annual Consumer Awareness Conference on Wednesday.

The conference, held at the Vendors Ground in Gokwe South Centre, was attended by Vice President General (Retired) Dr Constantino Chiwenga, sector regulators, customs authorities, law enforcement agencies and traditional leaders.

Minister Ncube said consumer protection was critical to safeguarding public health, promoting fair competition and supporting sustainable economic growth.

He said the Government was concerned about business malpractices such as the sale of expired products, adulterated food, counterfeit goods, smuggling and the short-weighting of repackaged products.

“These practices erode competitiveness, distort fair market dynamics and endanger consumer safety,” Ncube said.

He said the hosting of the national event in Gokwe demonstrated Government’s commitment to taking development and essential services to communities that had previously been underserved.

Ncube said a number of projects had been implemented in Gokwe under the Government’s devolution and decentralisation programme.

An e-passport office has also been opened at Gokwe Centre, serving people from surrounding areas, including parts of Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North and Zhombe.

Ncube also cited the construction of the Gokwe North District Hospital mortuary, Shangwe-Tonga Culture Centre, Nyamuroro Vocational Training Centre female hostel and ICT laboratory, as well as police and school accommodation facilities.

He said road infrastructure was also receiving attention, including the construction of a seven-kilometre section between Chinyenyetu and the Kuwirirana-Nembudziya junction along the Kuwirirana-Nemangwe road.

The rehabilitation of the Kwekwe-Zhombe Road and construction of bridges such as Pohwe, Mabanana and Chemusonde were also highlighted as key projects aimed at improving connectivity between communities and markets.

Ncube said work was also continuing on the Gokwe South Smart GMB Silos, while a 96kW solar system at Gandavarovi was providing power to schools, a business centre, a CAMPFIRE site, a clinic and 17 communal homesteads.

He said Government had also provided schools with laptops, printers, whiteboards and Starlink kits under the Presidential Computerisation Programme.

Other projects include solarised boreholes, Village Business Units and the electrification of schools, clinics, traditional leaders’ homesteads and business centres under the Rural Electrification Programme.

The conference comes as authorities continue efforts to address challenges affecting consumers and ensure that businesses comply with regulations governing the quality, safety and pricing of products.