Cape Town – The South African minister of trade and industry has called for suppliers of non-compliant paraffin stoves and heaters to be prosecuted.
Minister Rob Davies made the statement whilst speaking at the launch of the winter awareness campaign on Friday to educate the community of Kya Sands about the dangers of using non-compliant paraffin stoves.
The campaign was organised by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) and the National Consumer Commission (NCC).
In 2014, the informal settlement of Kya Sands in Johannesburg was ravaged by fires which left many people homeless, others badly burnt and one person dead.
After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that unsafe paraffin stoves had been a contributing factor in the fires.
“We are tired of just confiscating and destroying sub-standard goods from unscrupulous suppliers of these appliances, we want them to be prosecuted. Communities should report these illegal suppliers and work together with government so that the law can take its course,” Davies said in a statement.
Davies added that government did not want to come in and clean up the mess of dishonest people who took communities for granted by selling the substandard goods to them.
He encouraged communities not to buy from these dealers.
Davies also sent a strong message to importers and foreign exporters of such goods that sub-standard goods were not welcome in the country, and that government would have no mercy when dealing with them.
“We care about our community and want them to live in safe and decent conditions. We want them to know their rights which are protected by the Consumer Protection Act,” he added.
A survivor of a shack fires that wiped homes of more than 2 800 people last year, Puleng Masemola said she had lost everything in the fire including birth certificates and identity documents.
“We would like government to help us to live lives that will be happy, without having to experience fires because we struggle to rebuild our lives thereafter,” she added.
Masemola added that she was happy that they were going to receive compliant stoves which would not spill paraffin or cause fire if they trip.
“These stoves will bring about a positive change in our lives because they are safer than the ones we have been using,” she said.
Davies, together with the chief executive of the NCRS, Asogan Moodley and the Commissioner of the NCC Ebrahim Mohamed handed out 500 approved paraffin stoves to members of the community.
The winter awareness campaign started on 8 June 2015 and was characterised by various activities such as door-to-door visits to check compliance of appliances and inspection at business areas.
ANA