Destruction of R80m’s worth of illegal automotive friction materials welcomed

The Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) welcomes the recent destruction of non-conforming automotive friction materials at the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) in Midrand.

Vishal Premlall, national director of the South African Petroleum Retailers’ Association, a proud association of the RMI, and regulatory compliance manager at the RMI, was a guest at the event at which about R80m’s worth of illicit products were destroyed.

The automotive products destroyed included brake pads, brake shoes, headlamps, globes, foam tyre cleaners and infant car seats.

“We are pleased to see progress and for the first time in many years, a public display of non-conforming product destruction. Now we need a database of the conforming products as a starting reference for the consumer, because the continued trade in inferior products impacts the safety of road users,” he said.

Premlall explained that collaboration between the RMI and the Automotive Friction Material Industry to regulate brake friction materials has been ongoing over an extended period, but often with frustrating results for the parties involved.

The project seemed to lack momentum by the regulatory and compliance bodies, despite the fact that the growth of brands of friction material over the past two decades has been exponential.

Most concerning, Premlall said, was that there had been no means to confirm the quality and validity of these products in the local marketplace.

“The illegal trade is evolving daily. Careful tracking is essential. Accordingly, the RMI will partner efforts with all relevant stakeholders to bring guilty perpetrators to account,” he said.

To further this agenda, the RMI will take discussions to heightened levels at the NRCS and ensure that products entering the automotive market are safe and of acceptable manufacturing standards.

“RMI member workshops pride themselves in only dealing with reputable parts suppliers with trusted products that meet the regulatory standards. We must stand together to rid the industry of unscrupulous traders,” Premlall concluded.

The NRCS is an agency of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and was established on September 1, 2008.

At the event, Phambili Services coordinated the destruction processes, which included crushing with a baler, hammering, cutting, chemical processing, dumping into landfill sites and, where possible, recycling.

Only 10% of the products were destroyed that day, with the balance to be destroyed over a period of three weeks.

Products were classified in four main categories: automotive, electronic, chemical and legal metrology.

For videos and photos of the event and to stay informed of future activities, go to https://www.facebook.com/OfficialNRCSpage.

Source: Cathy Findley PR