Fourteen people die and ten more are fighting for their lives after drinking home brew to get around South Africa alcohol ban

• Three people died in each of three villages close to each other in the Eastern Cape
• They died after drinking the brew which was mixed with potent additives like methylated spirits
• Drinkers in South Africa have been banned from buying alcohol for over eight weeks

Fourteen people have suffered agonising deaths and ten more are fighting for their lives in hospital after drinking home-brew beer made to get around South Africa’s tough lockdown alcohol ban.

Police have revealed that three people died in each of three different villages close to each other in the Eastern Cape after drinking the brew which was mixed with potent additives like methylated spirits.

The nine most recent victims suffered excruciating stomach pains and were left doubled over in agony and vomiting with most of them dying before reaching hospital and the rest dying shortly after.

The eight men and a woman all came from Ndanka village near Stutterheim, Bumbane village near Keiskammahoek and Nonibe Village near King William’s Town and died in the last five days from the illegal booze.

Police spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci confirmed their officers are investigating the 9 deaths which are all linked by the victims having drunk potent home brewed beer shortly before being pronounced dead.

She appealed to community members not to experiment with homemade beer or alcoholic mixtures as they could prove to be lethal or cause permanent damage such as organ failure or blindness.

Colonel Soci said: 'I can confirm inquest dockets have been opened for the deaths of three people at Nonibe and three at Bumbane and another three more are currently under investigation at Ndanka.'

Nine other local men are being treated in hospital for the effects of alcohol poisoning.

Eastern Cape Health Department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo confirmed the nine survivors had also drunk the same brew as some of the victims and were now fighting for their lives in Stutterheim Hospital.

Mr Kupelo said: 'Deaths from home-made beer are on the rise and it is extremely dangerous to drink any concoction mixed with methylated spirits. People have to refrain from this habit as it kills.'

Laboratory tests are being carried out on the nine latest victims and on blood samples taken from the nine who remain in a critical condition to confirm the exact cause of the poisonings.

In Brakpan in Gauteng province last week a man died from organ failure and his father is critical in intensive care at the Far East Rand Hospital after drinking home-made liquor.

The 34-year-old father-of-two and his dad bought the booze from a local vendor before both collapsed in agony after knocking back the brew and were rushed straight to hospital

Three weeks ago estate agent Tony Hilliar, 54, and his bride-to-be Alida Fouche, 42, died painfully after making a powerful brew from pineapples after drinking just one bottle of it each.

Secretary Alida collapsed and died at their home in Port Nolloth in Northern Cape Province and her fiancé Tony who had called the emergency services died several days later in hospital.

It is thought they had added hand sanitiser which contains 70 per cent alcohol to their home-brew to increase the strength but died according to police in extreme pain from the concoction at their home.

A week later married Melvin Afrikaner, 54, and wife Winnie, 50, died after being rushed to hospital from their home in Ocean View, Cape Town, after drinking home-made alcoholic ginger beer.

A family member said it is believed they had added 97 per cent proof ethanol to brew to make it potent but poisoned themselves instead and despite being taken to intestine care could not be saved by doctors.

Both died in False Bay Hospital in Western Province shortly after being admitted.

One home-brew drinker Thembise Geniwe interviewed by the Daily Dispatch said: 'We buy the ingredients from the local shops and it tastes like normal alcohol but we know it’s dangerous but we still drink it.

'It’s cheaper because for R50 (£2.40) four people can get very drunk from the brew.' 

Drinkers in South Africa have been banned from buying alcohol for over eight weeks with supermarkets and off licences banned from selling it by President Cyril Ramaphosa since lockdown began on March 27.

But yesterday the President in a national address announced the alcohol ban will be lifted on June 1 for off-licence sales only and it will only be on certain days of the week and during restricted hours.

It means the nation will have not been able to buy alcohol for a thirsty 65 days. 

Since the ban, alcohol loving South Africans have begun making strong home brew beer from traditional recipes which date back to apartheid times, using pineapples or root ginger, sugar and brewers yeast.

Google has also reported that 'how to brew homemade alcohol' is one of their highest internet search requests in South Africa since the alcohol ban came into force clocking up millions of hits each week.

The loss of tax revenue to the nation from the ban is said to be 'eye watering' and South Africa along with Panama and Sri Lanka are now the only three countries in the world still banning the sale of booze in lockdown.