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In a statement, the commission said that Sicuro Safety CC (Sicuro) and Hennox 638 CC t / a Hennox Supplies (Hennox) were charged with the violation of section 8 (1) (a) of the Competition Law, read with Regulation 4 of the Consumer Protection Regulation.
This followed the commission’s investigation which found that company prices for Filtering Face Piece 1 (FFP1) mask increased “astronomically” by more than 969.07% and 956%, according to charges by Sicuro and Hennox, respectively.
“The firms have not provided the Commission with any reasonable explanation for such excessive price increases,” said spokesman Sipho Ngwema.
The cases followed the commission’s previous prosecutions regarding the excessive prices charged for face masks against Babelegi Workwear and Industrial Supplies CC (Babelegi) and Dis-Chem.
In Babelegi a price increase of 1,241% was collected, while in Dis-Chem the price increase for masks increased to 317%.
“The Commission maintains that the prices for Sicuro and Hennox were a direct reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impact on the world in general and on South Africa in particular.”
To address this concern, the commission asked the court to issue a verdict that prohibits companies from continuing any excessive pricing behavior, “along with the pricing order that is necessary to remedy this behavior.”
The commission also asked the court to impose a maximum penalty.
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