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The decision by Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, to partially lift the deferment of the Consumer Protection Act he had previously granted to low and medium capacity municipalities is a step in the right direction.

However, standards of service delivery that apply to every company in the country still do not apply to hundreds of municipalities with the lowest standards of delivery in the country.

I will be writing to Minister Davies to ask for a meeting where I will urge him to remedy this immediately.

There is some good news for citizens who live in weaker municipalities, but the central irony remains: those South Africans who live in areas where the local council is least able to deliver to them are denied many of the protections that ensure good service - a double indignity.

Following the tabling of the Government Notice on 31 October, all South Africans will enjoy the protections in Sections 19 (consumers’ rights to delivery of goods and services once payment is completed), 21 (no delivery, no pay), 40 (protection against unconscionable conduct), 42 (protection against fraudulent schemes and offers) and 85-113 (intervention by the National Consumer Commissioner).

Unfortunately, if you happen to live in one of the 234 low or medium capacity municipalities in South Africa then you lack the protections provided by twelve critical sections of the Act.

The most important omissions are Sections 54 (right to demand quality service), 55 (right to safe, good quality goods), 60 (complaints forum) and 61 (liability for damage caused by faulty goods or service) - each of which are vitally important in ensuring quality services and accountability.

Minister Davies has taken a step in the right direction, but the fact of the matter is that residents in low and medium capacity municipalities are still not fully protected by the Consumer Protection Act. Instead of shielding non-performing municipalities from the provisions of the Act, Minister Davies should grant citizens the full protection of the Act – regardless of where they live.

In June I met with Minister Davies to urge him to grant the protections in the Act to all citizens. While I welcome his decision to partially lift the deferment of the Act he had granted to certain municipalities, it is disappointing that the Minister has not gone far enough. I will be requesting another meeting with him to urge him to remedy this.