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New voice for bitter SA consumers
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New
voice for bitter SA consumers
THE STAR
- January 30 2000 at 09:37PM
By Matthew Burbidge Electricity bills, rent, and maintenance of buildings and houses are some of the issues that the newly formed South African Consumer Investigation Agency will tackle. Launched in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, on Sunday, it will come as a welcome relief to browbeaten consumers who have received a raw deal from city councils, attorneys and medical practitioners. It will also help consumers with contracts, especially the fine print in hire purchase agreements. The agency, which was launched at a cost of R58 000 and which will be staffed by volunteers, will operate from central Johannesburg and there will be representatives in every province. Residents in various parts of South Africa have had endless problems with local councils regarding electricity accounts, rent and building maintenance. The agency will deal with complaints about these, as well as attorney fraud and malpractice by medical practitioners. The agency's policy researcher and analyst, Richard Pillay, said people were tired of being ignored and not being taken seriously. He said he had been "besieged" by thousands of requests for help since the word had got out that the agency would be formed. Pillay, a Democratic Party MP, said: "There is a definite need (for the agency), otherwise there wouldn't have been so many people with so many complaints." The telephone numbers are (011) 337-7233, (011) 648-2950 and 082-491-2836. |