CFTC Trains Northern Journalists to Expose Unfair Business Practices

MZUZU, Malawi — The Competition and Fair Trading Commission is training journalists in the Northern Region to strengthen reporting on consumer rights and expose unfair business practices, writes Tionge Hara.

Speaking during a capacity-building engagement with journalists in Mzuzu on Aug. 19, 2026, CFTC Competition Analyst Goldameir Marobe said the initiative seeks to equip reporters with knowledge of the legal framework governing competition and consumer protection.

“Recently, we have had so many complaints coming from the Northern Region, so we thought it imperative to conduct this sensitisation program,” Marobe said.

She said journalists would be better positioned to report on cases handled by the commission and help educate consumers and traders about their rights and responsibilities under the law.

The engagement comes as the commission implements the Competition and Fair Trading Act of 2024, which replaced the 1998 legislation.

The updated law expands consumer protection to digital markets, introduces leniency programs and gives the commission administrative powers to impose higher penalties. Corporate offenders can face penalties of up to 10% of their gross annual turnover.

Marobe, however, acknowledged that enforcement continues to face challenges, including delays in finalizing operational guidelines and legal challenges from businesses contesting higher penalties in court.

Among the common violations reported to the commission are discrepancies between displayed shelf prices and amounts charged at checkout tills, failure by traders to disclose important product information and prices, and the sale of expired or defective goods.

Other complaints involve excessive pricing and unfair or unconscionable contractual terms imposed on consumers.

Journalists who attended the engagement welcomed the initiative, saying the training would improve their ability to provide accurate consumer protection information to the public.

Draxon Maloya, a journalist with Angaliba Television, described the training as an eye-opener that would help journalists provide consumers with accurate information about their rights after purchasing goods.

The CFTC’s legal services department is defending the commission’s determinations in court as the regulator seeks to strengthen enforcement and curb market abuses across the Northern Region.