Number 61                                                             February     2004
Man Sues Coca- Cola Company
By Delphine Hampande
Coca-Cola Company in Zambia has been sued by a Kasama man after he drunk contaminated bottled sprite.
The man who was now seeking advice from Kasama Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) said he developed diarrhoea and started vomiting after drinking the sprite.
A medical report obtained by LRF stated that Patrick Mwamba developed abdominal pains and dizziness sustained after taking the drink.
And laboratory results also showed that the sprite contained black and white sediments at the bottom of the bottom.
Kasama Environment Health Technologist Eridge Simukanya explained that the black stuff was identified as a fungal growth while the white one was identified as mealie-meal grains.
Mwamba said on July 20 2003, he bought a drink from a named restaurant within Kasama as he was waiting for his wife who had gone to report a case at LRF offices.
He said in the process, he swallowed some thick bitter stuff and immediately returned the drink to the owner of the shop and explained what had transpired.
Mwamba said he later took the bottle to the police for further verifications.
He said the bottle was then sent to Lusaka's ministry of health food and Drug control laboratory for further examinations.
He said he wanted LRF to assist him get compensation.
Kasama paralegal Deogratoius Mutale said LRF would assist in the matter amicably as Mwamba was right to seek for compensation from the company involved because he suffered damages after consuming the drink.