Boycott pirated goods: Proudly SA
An operation to confiscate counterfeit CDs, DVDs and other goods was launched by the provincial Hawks last Thursday.
POLOKWANE – An operation to confiscate counterfeit CDs, DVDs and other goods was launched by the provincial Hawks last Thursday.
Head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Maj Genl Dibero Molatjana said the operation would continue throughout the festive season.
Molatjana explained that some of the confiscated goods would be sent to the South African Federation for Counterfeit Goods for analysis and determination on whether the goods were indeed fake. “The goods will then be returned to us and we will decide whether or not to prosecute the shop owners involved.
“Trading in these goods can cost shop owners a fine of R5 000 or a prison sentence of up to three years per item, even if they are first-time offenders,” she said.
She said South Africa was regarded as a top destination for fake and illegally imported goods due to the high demand created by local consumers. According to the department of trade and industry (DTI), last year alone SARS conducted more than 25 000 seizures and confiscated illegal goods valued at R2,6 billion.
The DTI and Proudly South African (Proudly SA) called on the public to boycott pirated and illegally imported goods.
“As proud South Africans, we cannot allow our creative industries to continue bleeding while criminal scavengers illegally benefit through stealing the work of our artists and creative minds. Pirated goods rob the original creators of their future. This also robs government of tax revenue and ultimately has a negative impact on South Africa’s economy and South African families,” said the CEO of Proudly South African, Leslie Sedibe.
According to DTI spokesperson, Sidwell Medupe, counterfeit goods are often smuggled into the country from places such as South-East Asia. These gooods include electrical appliances and equipment, consoles, pharmaceuticals, CDs, DVDs, food, washing powder, calculators, computer software, perfumes and many other articles mostly of inferior quality and often dangerous to use, he said.
According to the SARS 2012/13 annual report presented to parliament on September 18, among the methods used by illicit traders to circumvent customs and other government agencies are identity theft, falsification of documents, ghost businesses and alternative remittance schemes.
The report stated that SARS secured an average of 26 seizures a day at ports of entry across the country and detections included illicit cigarettes worth R37,8 million, counterfeit clothing worth R155 million and counterfeit CDs and DVDs worth R671 million in the 2012/13 financial year.
Both the DTI and Proudly SA have urged consumers to support local industries by buying original and genuine products from legal and reputable retailers and shops. Consumers were encouraged to support local products and be proudly South African.
The call to boycott pirated goods is supported by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), the Southern African Federation Against Copyright Theft (Safact) and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
By the time of going to press, a report has not yet been received regarding the value of confiscated goods by the provincial SAPS office.
