Durban’s business support organization has reported that fraudulent products have entered the local market in significant numbers. The presence of such a large quantity of counterfeit goods poses a serious threat to the economy. On Wednesday, law enforcement officers seized about 14 million cell phone accessories in Durban’s Sydenham area. Altogether, the confiscated items have a street value of R27 million.
Chamber CEO Palesa Phili says local industries are already feeling the strain. “ The impact that illicit goods have on local businesses is significant. This also has the potential to lead to job losses, reduced government revenue and the collapse of key industries, which is going to be limiting the country’s potential for sustainable economic growth. “The impact is even more severe for small, medium, and micro enterprises, many of which are struggling to survive or are operating at minimal capacity as they face intense competition from illicit counterfeit goods.” Phili is now calling for a zero-tolerance approach and stronger action from law enforcement. She says protecting local businesses is key to growing the economy and saving jobs.
Durban is a strategic port on the Indian Ocean, and the city has become a magnet for smuggling counterfeit goods and other forms of organized crime. The seizure of this batch of illegal goods is only a stepping stone toward addressing the wider problem of the network involved. Police must track down those sustaining this network at its source. Goods appearing on the streets need to be routinely checked by inspectors to determine whether they are genuine or counterfeit. CEO Phili is right to argue that counterfeit goods—whether foreign or locally made—must be prevented. These goods are not only numerous but also poorly made and cheaper. Any threat to the local economy of the eThekwini region can affect South Africa as a whole. A collective effort across the national, provincial, and local spheres is needed to end this scourge at its source.
Meanwhile, the Durban High Court has ruled in favour of KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, granting him the urgent interdict he sought against chairman Calvin Mathibeli of the Calvin and Family Group.
In his judgement delivered electronically on Friday (February 27), Judge Sanele Hlatshwayo ordered Mathibeli to “remove, delete, and retract all defamatory publications concerning the applicant from all social media platforms, websites and digital media within 24 hours”. Mathibeli was also ordered to retract the allegations that he made about Mkhwanazi during an interview on Newsroom Afrika where he accused him of corruption and for giving unlawful kill orders to SAPS members. “The respondent is ordered to publicly, and on the same platforms, to retract such statements,” said Hlatshwayo. In a social media post on February 16, a Facebook account with the chairman of Calvin and Family Group’s name posted a statement with several allegations, including ones of intimidation, a murder plot against him, and corrupt dealing within the KZN SAPS.
On Tuesday Mkhwanazi brought the urgent matter to court. Represented by Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane SC, he pleaded with the court to grant the interdict preventing Mathibeli from continuing with his onslaught.
The allegations made by the Calvin and Family Group’s chairman are signs of paranoia. He accused the provincial police of intimidation, murder, and corrupt dealings on social media—without providing evidence. These claims suggest that he may himself be under investigation for underhanded or illegal dealings. While it is not known what those dealings might be, the fear of being investigated may have prompted him to make such allegations online. To publish defamatory claims on social media without proof is a serious offense. Mathibeli will have to retract all allegations made against Mkhwanazi and issue an apology. Undermining senior police officers without evidence is a grave matter. If Mathibeli does not comply with court orders, he could face arrest and imprisonment.
Accusing senior police officers publicly without proof is not only defamatory and illegal but also unethical. Mathibeli must explain his position and retract the statements he made. Regarding the counterfeit goods situation, those involved should be questioned to identify the ringleaders of their network.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
