Imbibers floating in ‘Seven Days’

BEER is one of the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic drinks in the world. It is regarded as the third most popular drink after water and tea. Considered to be a social lubricant in many societies, beer is drunk as a pastime, at social gatherings and at religious festivals, among other functions.

But the steep rise in the price of beer is forcing some Harare residents to find cheaper alternatives — the homemade traditional brews.

Until recently, traditional African beer was mostly consumed in the country’s rural and farming communities.

However, a tour of Harare’s high-density suburbs revealed that the number of people that are turning to homemade traditional brew is increasing.

At Whitehouse Shopping Centre in Whitecliff, along the Bulawayo-Harare highway, scores of drinkers were seen gulping the homemade traditional brews.

The traditional brews, which are sold in plastic containers, have now become accessible on the open market.

And a row of stalls for the traditional brews seem to be growing by the day.

Among the traditional brews on sale is Seven Days, a type of beer which is brewed over a period of seven days, hence the name.

Chikokiyana, another traditional brew which matures in just over 12 hours, is also readily available on these stalls that have been converted into drinking holes.

Apart from the traditional brews, cheap spirits that are smuggled from Mozambique, among them Soldier and Double Punch, are also available.

Vinyu, a potent crude wine brew, is also up for grabs.

The Sunday Mail Society has established that while the majority of the people that used to buy these brews were fishmongers, touts and vendors, this is no longer the case.

Gentlemen in suits and ties are also drinking these beverages.

Those that are drinking the traditional brews say they are attracted by the low prices and the high alcohol concentration.

“I cannot afford other types of beers. To me, traditional beer is both food and drink and I can go home and sleep without taking any food,” said one of the imbibers who was seated on a makeshift bench.

The drinker argued that traditional beer is not associated with any health risks.

“We have people in the rural areas who drink this type of beer and live very long lives.

“In my view, traditional beer is better than the expensive clear beers,” he added.

The traditional brew is being sold for as little as $3 a cup, with Chibuku Super, a commercially brewed opaque brew, going for $8 at nearby bottle stores.

Some of the drinkers said due to the huge quantities of yeast used in the production of the home brews, they often suffer from terrible hangovers after drinking home-brewed traditional beer.

And there are fears that the traditional brews are being produced under unhygienic conditions, thereby putting the health of the drinkers at risk.

Information gathered by this publication revealed that the traditional brews are indeed being produced under unhygienic conditions along the Dzivarasekwa River.

Research carried out by the Department of Medicine at the University of Zimbabwe Medical School revealed that when compared to commercially brewed beer, traditional beer has higher levels of both iron and alcohol concentration.

A report titled ‘‘Iron and Alcohol Content of Traditional Beers in rural Zimbabwe’’ revealed that iron and alcohol concentration in 94 different types of alcoholic beverages prepared in rural areas was much higher than in 18 commercially produced beers.

High levels of iron in the body can cause health problems such as diabetes and liver damage.

Most of those taking the traditional brews seem to be aware of the dangers that are associated with consuming them.

The availability of cheap traditional brews and spirits is contributing to drug dependence and alcoholism, especially among the youths.