Zimbabwe clamps down on ‘backyard brewers’ as fake booze booms

A 45-year-old man pours a brownish liquid into little bottles in Mbare, one of Zimbabwe’s most populous townships.

Alcohol lingers.

Zimbabwe “backyard brewers” like the Mbare inhabitant create imitation whiskey, brandy, vodka, and other spirits to make ends meet amid waning economic aspirations.

“My life changed when I got into this business,” said the brewer, a former heavy machinery mechanic who declined to be named. “I left the (mechanics) industry because it was not paying much anymore.”

The home-made brew is created from ethanol concentrate, diluted with lots of water, and colored brown with baking goods. Young people hunting for cheap alcohol in township taverns like it.

The $0.50 250 ml bottle imitates Two Keys, Jack Daniels, and King Stallion Brandy.

“We always check to see which label has more demand at any given time and make that,” said the 2011 brewer who entered a congested industry.

“We make the same (alcohol) but put different labels,” he laughed.

Because home brewers cannot reliably assess alcohol content, authorities warn the activity is dangerous.

Police are raiding breweries more often.

“Wherever we find substances like illicit alcohol, we act,” police spokesperson Paul Nyathi told Reuters.

Nyathi reported 4,000 nationwide arrests since January.

“The police raid us every day… business is not the same,” claimed the brewer. “Displaying our products is dangerous.”

Due to economic challenges, fake alcohol and drug addiction are rising in Zimbabwe, according to civil society organisations.

There is no national statistics on substance abuse. Zimbabwe lacks public substance abuse rehabilitation centers.

“The evidence on the ground points to a lot of illicit alcohol use,” said Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network program officer Knowledge Mupembe. We support affordable public rehabilitation centers.