Zambian Breweries Denies Brewing Beer with “Ethanol Surprise” After ZRA Truck Seizure
Zambian Breweries has poured cold beer ‘sorry, water’ on claims by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) that it was the intended recipient of two intercepted trucks carrying 66,000 litres of ethanol.
The brewing giant insists it doesn’t use ethanol in its beer-making process, preferring old-fashioned ingredients like malted barley, sorghum, cassava, maize, hops, and water, you know, the kind your granddad drank without worrying about smuggling scandals.
“Our beers are brewed from natural ingredients… in line with strict quality and safety standards,” the company said, perhaps wondering how it got dragged into an ethanol drama when it’s busy turning grains into happy hours.
Still, Zambian Breweries says it’s cooperating with ZRA to “establish the full facts,” which is corporate-speak for we also want to know who decided to borrow our name for this party.
ZRA had earlier claimed the trucks, which sneaked in through Nakonde One Stop Border Post disguised as carrying 132 packages of calcium hypochlorite each (because nothing says “totally normal cargo” like industrial chlorine), were linked to Zambia Breweries Plc on import documents. The declarant? Transtra International (Z) Ltd.
As if that wasn’t enough, ZRA says it found an alcohol permit and delivery papers boldly listing Zambian Breweries Limited as the buyer. Revenue loss to government: a cool K3 million.
Zambian Breweries, one of the country’s top taxpayers, says it follows the law to the letter and keeps meticulous records of all transactions. Translation: If we wanted ethanol, we’d buy it the proper way… and probably not in a truck pretending to be a bleach delivery.
The company says it’s committed to “full transparency” and will work with authorities to get to the bottom of this because after decades of building a squeaky-clean brand, no one wants to be remembered for the Great Ethanol Heist of 2025.
©️ KUMWESU | August 10, 2025
Zambian Breweries have been quick to defend their brand by not remaining quiet. That’s telling on its own. It behoves Circle Transtra not to remain quiet. What game is going on here?