Story By: Lee Bullen,Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Central European News
A loving couple in South Africa have reportedly died of drinking home-brew during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Tony Hilliar and his fiancee Alida Fouche reportedly died from drinking the home-made “beer”.
Mohale Ramatseba, spokesperson for the police in South Africa’s largest province of Northern Cape, said the 42-year-old woman was the first to die in the couple’s home in the coastal town of Port Nolloth.
Ramatseba added: “A 54-year-old man was found seriously ill. He later died in hospital.”
According to reports, two empty bottles of homemade alcohol he described as a type of ‘beer’ were found in the vicinity.
Ramatseba confirmed that the local authorities are investigating the deaths and that both “empty bottles of homemade brew have been seized for forensic tests”.
Pastor Bertus de Jager from Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape said the couple who were engaged to be married were deeply in love and every time anybody ever saw them, they were always holding hands.
The pastor added he had known the woman from six years saying: “She was a very reserved person who cared a lot about people. She called me a few times in the past and asked me to help people in need, even if she was in need herself.
“She loved children. They were always close to her heart. The community is extremely sad and we are praying for their families.”
Hilliar, he said, worked as an estate agent.
Although it is supposedly not possible to die from drinking beer contaminated by bacteria as the alcohol sterilises it, the drink can still be contaminated.
In 2015 there were 75 people who died in Mozambique from drinking a local beer made from millet.
A toddler was among those killed after the people all drank the contaminated product at a funeral in Tete province in Mozambique.
Carle Mosse, the province’s then health director, said it was suspected that the poisoning had been caused by crocodile bile although this had yet to be confirmed in tests.
According to local media, the incident happened one month after strict COVID-19 lockdown measures were introduced in South Africa, including a ban on the sale of alcohol.
Local media said the reason to ban alcohol was based on the substance compromising the immune system, lowering inhibitions regarding social distancing, and trying to reduce incidents of domestic abuse or violence resulting in people being hospitalised.
Similar to many European countries, residents are only allowed to leave their homes to provide essential services or buy necessary products such as food and medicine.
According to the latest figures from the John Hopkins University, South Africa has reported 7,808 cases of COVID-19 and 153 related deaths.
