News / Local
Bulawayo tout chokes on a chunk of meat, dies
20 Sep 2015 at 09:36hrs | Views
A 32-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo tout who died at a local restaurant on Saturday last week after spending the better part of the day on a drinking spree with friends is reported to have been choked to death by a chunk of meat. According to Mr Bongani Jubane, a friend to the now deceased, Tapiwa Dube, a post-mortem revealed that he died of asphyxia.
The late was a tout at Mac's Garage, an illegal passenger pick-up point in the city.
"I accompanied Tapiwa's mother to Mpilo Central Hospital where the post-mortem confirmed that he died as a result of a piece of meat that got stuck on his throat," Mr Jubane said.
Before meeting his fate, Dube is said to have started drinking a locally produced vodka in the early hours of the fateful day in the company of friends. After gulping one too many, Dube who had not had a meal since the previous day is said to have gone to a nearby restaurant situated near the city's vegetable market place to buy some food.
It is said after taking his food he started vomiting and even soiled himself and later died.
Officials from Habbah Private Limited, a Harare-based liquor manufacturer, which produces Mbarure vodka which the deceased was said to have been drinking, also argued that Dube did not die due to the over-indulgence of their product but due to asphyxia.
The Habbah officials flew into Bulawayo from Harare last Friday on a fact finding mission to ascertain if indeed Dube had succumbed to heavily intoxicating himself with Mbarure.
This was after Sunday News had published an article in last week's edition that Dube died after heavy binge of the vodka.
"We were forced to come down here to really ascertain the cause of Dube's death because we felt the article you (Sunday News) carried out was a threat to our brand. Our findings through a post-mortem report revealed that Dube died after being choked by a piece of meat. In real essence it's very rare for alcohol to kill a person unless if consumed in excess," said the company's finance director, Mr Bighton Bhebhe.
He said since the company started manufacturing the vodka, "we haven't had any case of a person who has died after consuming Mbarure. So this case was somehow unique, thus we were forced to come here."
Dube was buried in Chiredzi on Tuesday.
The late was a tout at Mac's Garage, an illegal passenger pick-up point in the city.
"I accompanied Tapiwa's mother to Mpilo Central Hospital where the post-mortem confirmed that he died as a result of a piece of meat that got stuck on his throat," Mr Jubane said.
Before meeting his fate, Dube is said to have started drinking a locally produced vodka in the early hours of the fateful day in the company of friends. After gulping one too many, Dube who had not had a meal since the previous day is said to have gone to a nearby restaurant situated near the city's vegetable market place to buy some food.
It is said after taking his food he started vomiting and even soiled himself and later died.
Officials from Habbah Private Limited, a Harare-based liquor manufacturer, which produces Mbarure vodka which the deceased was said to have been drinking, also argued that Dube did not die due to the over-indulgence of their product but due to asphyxia.
The Habbah officials flew into Bulawayo from Harare last Friday on a fact finding mission to ascertain if indeed Dube had succumbed to heavily intoxicating himself with Mbarure.
This was after Sunday News had published an article in last week's edition that Dube died after heavy binge of the vodka.
"We were forced to come down here to really ascertain the cause of Dube's death because we felt the article you (Sunday News) carried out was a threat to our brand. Our findings through a post-mortem report revealed that Dube died after being choked by a piece of meat. In real essence it's very rare for alcohol to kill a person unless if consumed in excess," said the company's finance director, Mr Bighton Bhebhe.
He said since the company started manufacturing the vodka, "we haven't had any case of a person who has died after consuming Mbarure. So this case was somehow unique, thus we were forced to come here."
Dube was buried in Chiredzi on Tuesday.
Source - sundaynews
