Africa-Press – Botswana. Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) has destroyed counterfeits material worth P2.7 million and pirated goods worth P395 000 which include phones, tablets, clothes, shoes, pirated CDS and DVDs, decoders, and other related materials.
The Assistant Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship Mr Baratiwa Mathoothe, who witnessed the destruction of counterfeit goods at Ramotswa District Landfill on Thursday, said destroying counterfeit products sent a strong message that businesses that thrived on deception, exploitation and fraud have no place in the economy.
He said the government was resolute in putting in place the building blocks for Batswana to develop sustainable business enterprises as they strive to create meaningful and well-paying jobs.
Mr Mathoothe said they were mindful that these new businesses would find it difficult to compete with cheap, low quality imported counterfeit products.
“This why today’s activity is so symbolic. We are sending a clear message that we are removing barriers to trade for the ordinary Motswana while assuring them that we will protect their innovation and invention”, said Mr Mathoothe
He stated that the confiscated goods were holding back the creative industries by actively devaluing music and film as a product. Mr Mathoothe said he was pleased that CIPA and its partners had taken a decisive steps to launch a war against counterfeit and pirated goods.
He challenged CIPA to ensure that the draft bills developed to strengthen IP laws were finalised to ensure harsh penalties and develop a more robust enforcement programme.
When giving an overview of the market, market agent Mr James Maradza said counterfeits goods undermined legitimate businesses and eroded public trust.
He said that was why markets had become pro-active agents in working alongside law enforcement, regulatory bodies and consumer protection agencies to confiscate such illegal products.
Mr Maradza further said this was not just about enforcement, but rather protection of the public from unsafe products, unfair competition and illicit economic activity.
The Acting Registrar General of CIPA, Mr Timothy Moalusi said they were raising public awareness by educating the public on the serious consequences of purchasing and distributing counterfeit goods.
He said they wanted to support innovation and fair trade as they need to put more emphasis on honesty and legitimate trade for the economy to grow.
Mr Moalusi added that “by demonstrating that we are resolute in protecting intellectual property rights, we create an environment where creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship can flourish which is essential for economic growth and creating a healthy and vibrant business landscape”.
He said they were destroying counterfeit goods collected between 2016 and 2025 through CIPA Compliance and Enforcement Unit in collaboration with Botswana Police Service, Botswana Unified Revenue Service, Interpol and Intellectual Property holders.
Mr Moalusi said the infringing goods were confiscated from borders, shops and informal traders.
Kgosi Mosadi Seboko asked CIPA to raise awareness among all Batswana, adding that not all people had access to technology where such information may be shared.
She said people had to know about the dangers of counterfeit goods and how they affected the economy and health of the nation.
Kgosi Seboko said lack of understanding of intellectual property laws can be detrimental to fair trade and when law enforcers confiscate goods from ordinary people, they may be aggrieved as they do not understand the meaning of it.
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