On Thursday, 20 February 2025, in a significant step toward consumer protection and awareness, the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) officially launched its Satellite Office at the University of Venda (UNIVEN). The initiative, in partnership with UNIVEN’s School of Law, Faculty of Management, Commerce, and Law, marks a significant milestone in bridging the gap between consumers and their rights. The formal proceedings were held at the Research Conference Centre, and the handover of the satellite office, including the unveiling of the Helpdesk, took place at the School of Law.
Distinguished guests, including CGSO CEO Ms Queen Munyai, Thovhele Gole Mphaphuli, UNIVEN Chief Operating Officer Mr Botwe Kraziya, Deputy Dean Professor Armstrong Kadyamatimba and Professor and Director of the School of Law Professor Lonias Ndlovu graced the launch. The ceremony served as a platform to highlight the importance of consumer protection, mediation of complaints, and the role of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) in safeguarding consumer interests.
On Photo: Dr Mantwa Madiba, Lecturer, Department of Mercantile and Private Law
The programme director for the day was Dr Mantwa Madiba, a lecturer in the Department of Mer-cantile and Private Law. She ably led proceedings at both the formal event and at the site of the offi-cial handover of the Satellite office. She emphasised that this milestone marks the University’s com-mitment to promoting consumer protection and providing accessible support to the community.
On Photo: Mr Botwe Kraziya, Chief Operating Officer
The ceremony commenced with a warm welcome from Mr Botwe Kraziya, Chief Operating Officer of UNIVEN, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal. He highlighted UNIVEN’s 45-year legacy, strong financial standing, and commitment to strategic partnerships, particularly with industries that enhance student experience and community engagement. Mr Kraziya acknowledged the alignment between UNIVEN and the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud in prioritising partnerships and community outreach. Mr Kraziya emphasised the university’s responsibility to bridge knowledge gaps, promote consumer rights, and incorporate industry-relevant research into its curriculum. He called for collaboration in alternative dispute resolution and responsible entrepreneurship training.
On Photo: Ms Queen Munyai, Chief Executive Officer, Consumer Goods and Services Ombud
In a keynote address, CGSO CEO, Ms Queen Munyai, presented an insightful overview and ex-pressed deep gratitude and humility for the opportunity to speak at the event, reflecting on her jour-ney as a former student at the university. She acknowledged the institution’s growth and trans-formation over the years, appreciating the chance to witness this milestone. She extended a heartfelt emphasis on the importance of collaboration and partnerships in achieving shared goals.
She highlighted the role of the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO), ex-plaining its significance in protecting consumer rights under the Consumer Protec-tion Act. Ms Munyai emphasised the everyday relevance of the Act, covering goods and services from furniture and food to transportation and professional services.
She underscored the importance of consumer awareness and businesses’ legal responsibilities, ensuring fair practices and quality service delivery.
Ms Munyai elaborated on CGSO’s mandate, stating that it operates under a legal-ly recognised code to enforce consumer rights and business compliance. She clarified that all businesses in goods and services must register with CGSO, ensuring accountabili-ty. She stressed the necessity of consumer education and industry-wide adherence to eth-ical business practices to enhance consumer confidence and safeguard public well-being.
On Photo: Prof Armstrong Kadyamatimba
Prof Armstrong Kadyamatimba, from the Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law , speaking on behalf of the Executive Dean, expressed gratitude to Ms Queen Munyai and the CGSO team for their dedication to consumer rights and their partnership with UNIVEN. He acknowledged the faculty’s combined strengths in management, commerce, and law, recognising key contributors to advancing consumer protection. He highlighted the significance of launching the CGSO Satellite Office as part of the university’s engaged scholarship strategy, providing vulnerable consumers access to justice.
On Photo: Thovhele Gole Mphaphuli
Thovhele Gole Mphaphuli, a respected traditional leader, also graced the occasion and empha-sised the significance of launching the CGSO Satellite Office to empower students and the lo-cal community with consumer rights awareness. He highlighted the growing global momentum for consumer protection, the need to bridge accessibility gaps in South Africa, and the impor-tance of educating students to challenge injustices. He acknowledged the challenges posed by online shopping and praised the CGSO’s efforts to address digital consumer protection. He hoped this initiative would inspire advocacy, strengthen consumer rights, and foster a fair marketplace.
On photo: Prof Lonias Ndlovu
Prof Lonias Ndlovu, Director of the School of Law, outlined the journey leading to the launch of the CGSO Satellite Office, emphasising a strong commitment to consumer rights and education. Prof Ndlovu detailed the partnership’s development, from initial contact to signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the extensive preparations for the launch. He highlighted the School of Law’s current review of the LLB curriculum revision, which will introduce a consumer protection law module in 2026, leveraging this collaboration to enhance legal education and community impact.
On Photo: Adv Gideon Joubert, Senior Lecturer
In his response to Ms Munyai’s address and announcement of the Help Desk Officer, Adv Gideon Joubert, senior lecturer, said the CGSO plays a vital role in educating commu-nities about consumer rights, and we are proud to partner with them. Adv Joubert not-ed that we have established a help desk within the school of law building integrated with our law clinic to support this initiative. He said the appointed officer is Londani Magau, a Uni-versity of Venda law graduate. Adv Joubert also extended appreciation to the CGSO team.
Establishing the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) Satellite Office at the Universi-ty of Venda (UNIVEN) represents a strategic initiative to enhance consumer awareness and protection. This collaborative effort underscores a shared commitment to empowering in-dividuals with the requisite knowledge and resources to assert their rights in the marketplace.
The CGSO Satellite Office at UNIVEN is a vital conduit between academic excellence and practical consumer advocacy, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. Through this initiative, UNIVEN and CGSO reaffirm their dedication to equipping individuals with the necessary expertise and support to navigate the complex consumer landscape confidently.
On Photo: Mr Londani Magau, Newly Appointed Help Desk Officer CGSO
Advocate Joubert also took the opportunity to announce Mr Londani Magau, a UNIVEN LLM grad-uate currently registered for a PhD in Public Law, as the person who will man the satellite office. His appointment followed a competitive selection process run by the CGSO. In his acceptance speech, Mr Magau thanked the CGSO for the appointment, which he accepted with humility.
On Photo: Dr Thivhusiwi Sikhitha, Senior Lecturer, Department of Mercantile and Private Law
Dr Thivhusiwi Sikhitha, a senior lecturer in the Department of Mercantile and Private Law, gave a vote of thanks for covering the formal event and the satellite office handover. She thanked the speakers for their speeches, summarising the highlights of each speaker’s speech. She acknowledged the CGSO guests, faculty and school leadership, the Chief Op-erating Officer standing in for the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, traditional leaders pres-ent, the UNIVEN organising team and the technical support from the UNIVEN ICT department
The event was epoch-making and solidly put UNIVEN on the local, regional, and nation-al maps. The pictures below attest to the day’s activities, success and impact of the event.
Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding and Communication University of Venda
Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811
