Delta Beverages is appearing in court alongside a Harare vendor after a customer allegedly discovered foreign objects inside a 300ml Coca-Cola soft drink he ha...
Delta Beverages is appearing in court alongside a Harare vendor after a customer allegedly discovered foreign objects inside a 300ml Coca-Cola soft drink he had purchased and partially consumed.
The complainant, Shepherd Mukonomera, told the court that he noticed what he described as worms in the soft drink after consuming part of it.
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The first accused in the matter is Violet Musandukwa, while the second accused is Delta Beverages, represented in court by Chenai J Chawafambira.
Musandukwa and Delta Beverages are facing charges of contravening the Public Health Act.
During cross-examination, Mukonomera said he started spitting out worms after drinking the soft drink. He maintained that the foreign objects were present inside the beverage he had purchased.
However, the lawyer representing Delta Beverages challenged the complainant’s claims and argued that the foreign objects were maggots rather than worms.
The court heard that the soft drink was later taken to a Government laboratory for examination. According to the defence, an initial visual inspection concluded that the foreign objects were maggots.
The lawyer further told the court that another scientific examination later determined that the foreign objects were starch.
Lisa Mutendereki, presiding over the matter, postponed the case to May 18 for continuation of the trial proceedings.
The court heard that the incident allegedly occurred on October 19, 2023, along Mbuya Nehanda Street in Harare, where Mukonomera purchased the soft drink from Musandukwa.
According to evidence presented before the court, Mukonomera allegedly consumed about a quarter of the drink before noticing unknown foreign substances inside the bottle. He then spat out the contents.
The complainant later filed a police report, leading to the arrest of the accused persons. The remaining contents of the soft drink were reportedly submitted to a forensic laboratory for examination, and a report was produced as part of investigations.
The matter is expected to continue when the case returns to court later this month.
