Soweto drinkers shocked to find home brew beer full of maggots

Beer drinkers in Soweto’s Ezimbuzini informal settlement were alarmed to discover that the traditional beer some were drinking was full of maggots.

Gauteng community safety officials arrived at a shack at the settlement where brewing was taking place after a complaint by the community.

Here they were shocked to discover drums of traditional beer infested with maggots, indicating the brew was in an advanced stage of decay.

It appears many drinkers in the area had been drinking the contaminated beer.

Community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko tweeted: “The things our people drink unknowingly. You buy imbamba, not knowing that you are drinking impethu (maggots).”

The owner of the informal brewery could not be found, officials said.

Informal brewing has exploded in South Africa since alcohol was banned during lockdown.

There have been reports of at least two people dying after consuming homemade liquor.

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