Nominations Sought for the Western Cape Consumer Affairs Tribunal

Provincial Minister of Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, is calling for nominations for experienced and skilled persons to serve on the Western Cape Consumer Affairs Tribunal, whose purpose is to protect the rights of consumers by acting as an adjudication body in disputes between consumers and businesses.

Minister Wenger, said, “Ultimately, consumer protection helps to ensure that markets work for both businesses and consumers. To help ensure this, consumers need to have access to accurate, unbiased information about the products and services they purchase so that they can make the best choices, while also being protected from being mistreated or misled by businesses. By the same token, businesses that are known to treat consumers in a fair and responsible manner will be known for their good practices and become more sought after, increasing their profitability and competitiveness. This is why it is important that we have the right people for the Consumer Affairs Tribunal, and I encourage all those with the relevant knowledge and experience, with a passion for consumer rights to apply.”

“The Tribunal, which will be a free service to citizens of the Western Cape, has been set up to make sure that transactions between consumers and businesses are fairly regulated, and to ensure that consumer disputes are adjudicated quickly and efficiently. The processes followed by the Tribunal will also be more user friendly compared to the normal court processes that are in place” continued Minister Wenger.

Currently, the Office of the Consumer Protector provides an alternative dispute resolution service to consumers and businesses in the Western Cape.

The Western Cape Consumer Affairs Tribunal, however, is empowered to investigate, prohibit, and control unfair business practices, and will be primarily responsible for the adjudication of complaints about alleged unfair business practices that the Office of the Consumer Protector has investigated but which could not be resolved amicably.

“While many disputes are successfully resolved in an amicable manner between the parties, there are some disputes that cannot be resolved in this way. This is where the Consumer Affairs Tribunal comes in, to allow for certain identified matters to be finalised by way of a binding decision on the dispute,” said Minister Wenger.

The Tribunal will consist of four members, one of which shall be designated as the Chairperson.

The Chairperson must be a retired judge of the High Court, or an attorney, advocate, retired magistrate or lecturer at a university with not less than ten (10) years cumulative experience in one or more such capacities.

The other members of the Tribunal shall have special knowledge or experience of consumer advocacy, economics, industry or commerce.

The appointment will be on a part time basis, for an initial period of three years, and appointed members will be remunerated according to a tariff that will be communicated on appointment.

Nominations close on 31 August 2023 and must be submitted in writing, accompanied by the nominee’s written indication of his or her consent to such nomination as well as a comprehensive curriculum vitae of the nominee. Nominees will be required to go through a thorough vetting and probity process which will include certification of qualifications, work experience, criminal history, financial standing and other matters.

Nominations can be sent to the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, for the attention of Adv A Searle, Director: Office of Consumer Protector, P O Box 979, Cape Town, 8000, or hand-delivered to the reception desk at the Ground Floor, Waldorf Building, 80 St Georges Mall, Cape Town, or emailed to Buyile.Nopote@westerncape.gov.za. Enquiries may be directed to Mr Buyile Nopote, tel (021) 483-9411 / 073 108 0947.