Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. HOTPLATE Grill House director Benson Muneri has dismissed allegations that his company has been serving unsafe food to workers at the Dinson Iron and Steel Company in Manhize, Mvuma, describing the claims as false, malicious and driven by internal politics at the mine.
Muneri said the accusations — including claims of contaminated meals and poor hygiene — were being pushed by individuals seeking to influence upcoming workers’ committee elections.
“It’s politics at play because it’s time to elect a new workers’ committee at the mine,” Muneri said.
“All the images used are not of our food. “They belong to local vendors who sell meals near our entrance.
“We are not the only ones preparing food near the mine.”
He said Hotplate Grill House had a long-standing track record in Zimbabwe’s food industry and had maintained safety standards over time.
“We have grown past all the rot mentioned in that article (an online publication) and anything from years before,” he said.
“We are one of the best in the country.
“At our peak, we operated 31 shops in Zimbabwe and several others outside the country.
“Our brand is built on consistency, hygiene and quality — not the kind of negligence being alleged.”
Muneri said Hotplate never failed inspections at the Manhize site.
“Since inception, we have received clean inspection audits from the Department of Health, Ema [Environmental Management Agency] and the Chinese Food Safety Department,” he said.
He added that the Hotplate Grill House food production system was transparent and closely monitored, with fresh meals prepared and verified daily.
“Everyday, food is prepared fresh and images are taken of all meals before they are dispensed to mine employees.
“This is done in the presence of all relevant departments and senior mine management so that quality is assessed and assured.”
Muneri also criticised the circulation of an image of spoiled matemba, which some platforms suggested came from Hotplate’s canteen.
“That image was used purely to soil our brand,” he said.
“We last served matemba in July 2025, yet matemba is sold everyday by vendors outside the mine.
The picture is not from our canteen.”
He added that the company kept an archive of daily meal records — including photographs — specifically to safeguard against false allegations.
“Images of all food served daily are filed and recorded to avoid misrepresentations of this nature,” Muneri said, adding that the allegations threatened a brand that invested heavily over the years in African cuisine, flame-grilled chicken excellence and reliable service across Zimbabwe and beyond.
Muneri said the firm was considering taking further steps to protect its reputation from what it views as calculated attempts to tarnish its image through unregulated online news platforms, adding that Hotplate Grill House did not have any political ties as alleged in the article.
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