Zim's condemned bottled water selling in Botswana

Bottled water which was recently condemned as unfit for human consumption, has found its way into Botswana's market where reports say it goes for between 6 and 7 pula per bottle.

Zimbabwe's Government Analyst Laboratory recently discredited several brands of so called mineral water which are being sold in the country.

The government analyst said some of the brands had harmful organisms, while others had high chemical compositions capable of causing cancer.

Last week Botswana's Mid Week Sun newspaper reported that the condemned water was now being sold at bus ranks in Francistown, Palapye, Serowe and Gaborone despite reports that the Zimbabwean authorities condemned them.

"The bottled water that has caused an uproar in Botswana's northern neighbour due to its health risks, has now found a niche market at some of our bus ranks," reported the paper. "For some time now the water has been sold by unsuspecting vendors to equally innocent customers at these places."

But Botswana's Ministry of Health and Bureau of Standards spokesperson Doreen Motshegwe told the media they were not yet aware of the bottled water's presence in their country.

"The ministry would look into the matter and conduct its own investigations," said Motshegwe.