‘Buy now, afford later’

MBABANE - ‘Buy now and afford later.’

This was the sentiment that the Chairperson of the Consumer Forum, Mandla Ntshakala, shared.

In reaction to this story, Ntshakala said consumers needed to shape their spending. He suggested that consumers could start to buy now and in bulk the products they need, not luxuries.

This method, he said, would in the future enable consumers to keep up with rising costs.

He also added that the rising costs of goods and commodities were forcing many people to live from hand to mouth. However, Ntshakala said to caution the costs and spending, there were deliberate government interventions needed.

To substantiate his statement, he said people needed alternative incomes, which could be facilitated through increased opportunities for business start-up loans.

DIFFICULT

“It is very difficult to save. However, one needs to appreciate the capability of most of emaSwati to run some microbusinesses like street vending, which, of course, needs government to provide easy access to get loans,” he said.

Ntshakala said the cost of living was becoming unsustainable, making more people poorer.

He said that at the rate, things were increasing; only the rich may be able to survive. Ntshakala proposed a government intervention in the way goods were produced and distributed, stating that an economic system shift was needed.

“We need our governments to intervene in the production, processing and distribution of food commodities.

“This is similar to a socialist principle, as Western democracy has failed,” he said, adding that the government needs to ensure a proper system of free education for all.

REVIEWED

Ntshakala said energy was one of the basic commodities that had to be reviewed.

He said LPG gas should subsidise energy.

He had said increases were taxing to the consumer since they depended on the use of electricity and that most basic commodity prices were controlled by the power price in the world market.

Ntshakala said the country can no longer rely on South Africa to supply electricity and that alternative sources of energy are needed.

He also said consumers need to be very cautious of microlenders (bomashonisa).

“We are approaching a disaster when people can no longer feed themselves.

“They will look for alternatives that may be destructive to the human race,” he said.