The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
DURABILITY of construction projects, both residential and business, has come under threat from peddlers of counterfeit building materials that are on the prowl in most parts of Manicaland.
A survey conducted by Post Business points to the proliferation of hardware shops selling counterfeit products.
While some hardware shops are selling the counterfeit products at lower prices, others are selling the poor quality products at the same price with genuine ones.
In an interview, Mrs Learn Takunda-Maraire of Tanium Hardware said among the numerous challenges being faced by clients is the provision of fake and substandard material.
“There are many challenges being faced by hardware material clients. To sum it up, most customers have the money to spend, but end up getting the short end of the stick from shady suppliers looking for someone to prey on.
“Some of the challenges that can be blamed on suppliers include not getting the correct material, sizes and colours that would be suitable for their property, lack of material and workmanship guarantee from suppliers who are concerned about profits at the expense of customer satisfaction,” said Mrs Takunda-Maraire.
She said there has been a proliferation of phony material peddlers in the sector.
“The number has grown significantly. Everyone is now claiming that they are the leading suppliers of genuine gutter material and if one is to make a purchase without any product knowledge, they can fall victim to these phony suppliers and get substandard materials.
“What`s worse is that gutters are a long term investment and consumers would only realise maybe one year down the line that they were duped,” she said. Competition has been on the increase in the sector given the sudden appetite for construction of business and residential properties across Manicaland.
“The completion is quite high because we are not only competing with genuine competitors but deceptive ones as well who are only in the industry to get a quick buck,” she said.
Speaking on how Tanium Hardware has been able to keep its head above the water, Mrs Takunda-Maraire said: “We have managed to work our way up to become one of the leading supplies and installers in the country through perseverance and hard work. I can say timeliness, professionalism and trustworthiness is what defines us.
“We have managed to position our products and services in a manner that will enable our clients to afford our products while enjoying a worry free service because we always treat everyone that comes through the door as family,” she said.
Tanium Hardware has also been giving back to the community, with their latest initiative being a partnership with The Manica Post for an anti-child marriages campaign that was recently held in Marange.
