Izinkantolo zivamisile ukuvuna abathengi uma kuqubuka izinkinga
Njengoba amaholidi kaKhisimusi esengqongqoza emnyango nabantu sebeqalile ukugcwala ezitolo bekhithiza. Kuvamisile ukuthi ngalesi sikhathi kube nokushayisana phakathi kwamakhasimende nabezitolo, kodwa inkulumo esalayo ngethi ikhasimende lihlale njalo lingenaphutha. Le nkulumo ifakazelwa nawumthetho njengoba iqoshiwe ngaphansi koMthetho iConsumer Protection Act no 68 of 2008 owasayinwa ngokusemthethweni zingama-24 kuMbasa ngowezi-2009.
Inhloso yalo mthetho ukuvikela ilungelo lawo wonke umuntu oyikhasimende, ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi impahla ayidingayo uyakwazi ukuyithola noma ukuyibheka kungakhathalekile ukuthi uzoyithenga yini nokulungisa isimo esijwayelekile sokuxhashazwa kwamakhasimende ezindaweni zokuhweba. UMthetho iConsumer Protection Act uchaza ikhasimende njengomuntu odayiselwa impahla noma okhangiselwa yona okanye ongena esivumelwaneni nomdayisi sokudayiselana. Ngaphansi kwalo mthetho kukhona uMqulu Wamalungelo omthengi.
Ngenxa yokuba khona kwalo mthetho ukuvikelela kwawo wonke umuntu waseNingizimu Afrika ngaphansi koMthethosisekelo wezwe oqhakambisa amalungelo ngokulinganayo kwenza zibe zincane kakhulu izigameko zokuxhashazwa kwabantu ngezindlela ezihlukene. Ngaphansi kwalo mthetho umthengi ungakwazi ukubuyisela emuva impahla noma anqamule inkonteleka eyisivumelwano sokudayiselana uma kukhona anganelisekile ngakho. Kuvamisile ukuthi kube nesikhathi esibekiwe angabuyisela ngaso impahla okujwayeleke ukuthi kube izinsuku ezingama-20.
Asikho isitolo noma umdayisi esinelungelo lokuvimbela umthengi ukuthi abuyisele impahla, noma ngabe umthetho waso uthini. Ezinye izitolo zivamise ukucasha ngokuthi zisebenza ngomthetho wazo wangaphakathi njengokuthi impahla awukwazi ukuyibuyisela emuva uma usuze waphuma nayo emagcekeni esitolo, kodwa iqiniso lithi konke kulawulwa iConsumer Protection Act.
Phambilini abantu abebevamise ukuzithola behlukumezeka kakhulu ngabathengi ngokudayiselwa impahla engekho ezingeni, esidlulelwe isikhathi noma abangazange bayithenge.
Ukuphasiswa komthetho iConsumer Protection Act kwashintsha izinto eziningi ikakhulukazi ekuvikeleni amalungelo abantu.
Lo mthetho ukubeka kucace ukuthi umuntu okudayisela impahla noma ongumkhiqizi angangena enkingeni uma kuvela ukuthi kukhona ubudedengu obenzekile ngesikhathi kuhlanganiswa umkhiqizo kuze kube uyawuthumela
Isigaba 61 salo mthetho owaqala ukusebenza ngowezi-2008 sikubeka ngokusobala ukuthi umkhiqizi wempahla, umdayisi kuze kuyofika kulowo oyisabalalisayo angabekwa icala uma kuvela ukuthi impahla leyo ayikho esimweni esikahle.
Phambilini sike saveza ukuthi ecaleni le-Eskom Holdings Ltd v Halstead-Clerk 2017 SA owayefake icala uHalstead-Clerk washa ngendlela eyisimanga ehlangana nezintambo zikagesi ezazinomlilo zilenga ngesikhathi yena nomngani wakhe beshova amabhayisikili.
Lezi zintambo zikagesi zazilengela phansi ngenxa yokuthi izinyokanyoka ziyazidonsa ukuze zikwazi ukuziphakela ugesi wamahhala.
Icala elaliphambi kwenkantolo kwabe kungukuthi inkampani yakwa- Eskom Holdings okuyiyona eyayiboshwa yayizimisele yini ngokuthwala lezo zindleko ngokulandela umthetho . Ngesikhathi sekuqulwa icala bonke ababethinteka bavumelana ngokuthi kungaxovwa izinto ezingahlangani.
Kwakukhona ukukhuluma okuthi uHalstead Clerk akazange alimale ngesikhathi ebanjwa izintambo zikagesi. Inkantolo yanquma ukuthi u-Eskom kumele athwale zonke izindleko nakuba wanquma ukulidlulisa icala.
UMehluleli uSchoeman, uMehluleli uLewis, uMehluleli uFourie noMehluleli uMakgoba bathi esinqumweni esakhishwa iNkantolo eNkulu kukhona ubudedengu obenzeka njengokuthi kumele kube nobuhlobo phakathi kosabalalisa impahla nalowo esuke ithunyelwe kuye ukuze lowo osolwa ngokwenza icala (kulokhu okungu Eskom) akwazi ukuthwala izindleko zomonakalo njengoba inhloso yoMthetho kungukuvikela abathengi.
Kulolu daba owayefake icala wayengeyena umthengi futhi ngesikhathi elimala wayengasebenzisi ugesi Ukuthunyelwa kwemikhiqizo engenakho ukuphepha, kulokhu okwabe kungugesi kokunye kuchaza ukuthi u-Eskom akukho lapho wenza khona okungalungile ngoba ugesi wona wawufaka ngendlela kwaba ukuthi sekuqubuka izinyokanyoka.
Kwavela nokuthi uClerk wayengawusebenzisi ugesi ngaleso sikhathi ngakho-ke wayengavikelekile ngaphansi komthetho.
Leli cala kwatholakala ukuthi alingeni ngaphansi kohlu lokuvikelwa kwabathengi nobudlelwano phakathi komkhiqizi nomthengi.
Amanye amalungelo abathengi noma amakhasimende avikelekile ngaphansi koMthetho iConsumer Protection Act yilawa: Yilungelo lokubheka impahla ngasese, ilngelo lokukhetha impahla ofuna ukuyithenga, ilungelo lobulungiswa nokuzinika isikhathi sokucubungulisisa umkhiqizo ofisa ukuwuthenga, ilungelo lokuthola lonke ulwazi ngalowo mkhiqizo, ilungelo lokudayiselwa umkhiqizo osesimweni esikahle, futhi nokuwusebenzisa okuphephile ikakhulukazi uma kuyizinto ezinjengemishini, ilungelo lokungashaywa ngemfe iphindiwe ngomkhiqizo abawuthengayo.
Ngaphansi kwelungelo lokuzikhethela umkhiqizo kukhulunywa ngokuthi umthengi unelungelo lokuzinika isikhathi ephuma engena ezitolo ebheka okuyiwona mkhiqizo omfanele futhi abheke nentengo yawo kuze kube uyaneliseka ukuthi into ethile izohambisananephakethe lakhe. Kukhona nelungelo lokuvuselela nokuqeda inkontileka osuke uyisayinile ngesikhathi uthenga umkhiqizo. Umthengi unalo ilungelo lokunqamula inkontileka yesikhathi esithile uma zingakapheli izinsuku ezingama-20 esayine isivumelwano sokuthenga leyo mpahla.
