Government is taking a strong stand against businesses and flea markets that trade in counterfeit goods.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mzwandile Masina, said landlords and owners of flea markets and business centres where counterfeits goods were sold must face the full might of the law as they contributed to the proliferation of illegal goods in the country. Masina led a raid on shops selling counterfeit CDs and DVDs at the Bright Water Commons Flea Market in Randburg recently.
“Government cannot tolerate a situation where owners of these flea markets are turning a blind eye to criminal activities committed in their own premises. People who sell these illegal goods pay rent every month for operating in these centres and their owners cannot claim that they do not know what is sold in their own premises. The fact that they receive money generated through illegal activities taking place in their premises could well imply that they are complicit in criminal acts that are hurting this country’s economy,” said Masina.
He added that counterfeit CDs and DVDs were not only costing the country’s economy millions of rands but they were also denying artists their right to earn a decent living and robbing them of the revenue that should be contributing to growing the creative industry. He said government recognised the role that the creative industry played in creating employment and contributing to the country’s economy.
