LUSAKA, May 21, 2024.
A joint team of officers from the Zambia Police Service and Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) which visited Pemba District of Southern Province on Monday seized 25 bottles of suspected counterfeit methylated spirit and other ingredients allegedly used to make homemade beer which resulted in the death of residents.
In Pemba’s Kasiya area, a check in one of the stores found the 25 bottles of “Beautiful and Premium” methylated spirit on the shelves which have since been recalled pending further laboratory analysis.
Further, the team moved to Kasiya Mission Hospital where one patient was found in admission while 13 had been discharged.
One of the survivors admitted to Monze General Hospital Lweendo Hamachila has been left blind.
According to Mr Hamachila, he was drinking with four of his friends whom he claimed had all died.
“We bought Beautiful methylated spirit and mixed it with a two litres of water. We added some sweeteners and consumed it. In the morning, three of my friends were found dead.
“That is how people from the community came and picked the two of us who had remained and took us to the hospital. Later my friend also died. As it is now, I can’t see completely,” he said from his hospital bed.
Mr Hamachila said he has been consuming the same mixture for over four years but that the only new thing this time was the ‘beautiful” methylated spirit which is relatively new on the market.
Other deaths have been recorded in Zimba, Monze, Kapiri Mposhi, Monze, Kalabo and Namwala.
Monze Mission Hospital acting medical superintendent Katongo Mulenga said the hospital first received three people who had taken the concoction from Pemba district on Thursday last week, out of which two were blind and one later died on Saturday morning.
Dr Musonda said the two brought in dead persons were also received on Sunday from Bweengwa in Monze district who had consumed a similar concoction.
“Another one was received yesterday (Sunday) from Nyimba Fishing camp also in Monze and he died in less than an hour. We also received one more on Sunday evening as a brought in dead from Pemba,” he said.
Dr Mulenga said two of the patients have been discharged although they have been left blind while one is still in admission.
“We are concerned about this development. If it was just one spot, you can say it is something that can be taken care of but this is quite widespread,” he said.
Dr Mulenga said the blindness experienced by the consumers of the concoction is irreversible.
The objective of the inspection was to confiscate all products relating to the unauthorized mixing of chemicals which were being used to come up with that homemade beer in the areas visited and possibly bring the perpetrators to book.
Unfortunately, the findings were that the masterminds of the concoctions died and the product was not readily available on the open market.
Zambia Police Service and ZCSA urge members of the public to desist from consuming beverages whose source is unknown.
Consuming unregulated beverages whose safety has not been ascertained can lead to serious health hazards or even death as recently experienced.
It is mandatory for all manufacturers, importers and traders of beverages to obtain authority from the ZCSA for them to supply the products on the market as provided for under the Compulsory Standards Act No. 3 of 2017.
ZCSA, a statutory body under Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, is mandated by the Compulsory Standards Act No. 3 of 2017, to administer, maintain and enforce compulsory standards for the purpose of public safety, health, consumer and environmental protection.
Jointly issued by: ORIGINAL COPY SIGNED
BRIAN HATYOKA| ACTING MANAGER – COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency
RAE HAMOONGA| PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
Zambia Police Service
