Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the DA, I hereby move without notice:
That the House -
1) notes that World Consumer Rights Day was celebrated this past Sunday, 15 March 2015, as an important date on the international human rights calendar;
2) further notes that the International Bill of Consumer Rights calls for fair consumer rights practices in respect of product safety, the availability of correct and reliable information on consumer products and services, ample choices between products and services, and fair pricing;
3) acknowledges that the right to have complaints against shoddy goods and poor services adjudicated and settled by an independent body, who may order a fair settlement of justifiable claims, is a fundamental human right;
4) further acknowledges that in South Africa the Consumer Protection Act of 2008 is an important vehicle to build and strengthen a consumer rights culture;
5) recognises that pending the finalisation and implementation of the Consumer Goods and Services Sector Code of Conduct, registration by businesses with and subjecting themselves to the authority of the Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman is done on a voluntary basis, precluding the Ombudsman to fulfil its role optimally and handle all possible consumer complaints; and
6) calls on government to finalise and implement this code of conduct urgently in order to strengthen processes to effectively protect the rights of South African consumers.