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Enyobeni Tavern tragedy: 21 youngsters die in East London tavern, Eastern Cape
On Sunday, 26 June 2022, 21 young people died at Enyobeni tavern in East London with the youngest victim being 13 years old. Police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana said they did not want to speculate about the cause of the incident as this may jeopardise the investigation. “On Sunday morning at about 04h00am police from the Scenery Park Police Station received a report of the lifeless bodies of the teenagers at a local tavern in the area. Upon arrival police found seventeen bodies inside the building. It was later established two more died at a local clinic, one died en route to hospital and another died in hospital. Nine of the deceased are female while 12 of the deceased are male. Police have since registered an inquest into the death of the teenagers,” said Kinana.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has called for no stone to be left unturned in uncovering the cause of the tragedy. “We call on parents and legal guardians not to abdicate their responsibility to their children or minor children entrusted in their care. As a parent myself, I am pained by this tragedy and cannot imagine losing a child in this manner. We grieve with parents and families at this hour and ask for your patience in getting to the facts around this tragic event. We are saddened by the loss of young lives, future leaders of our country, future breadwinners for their families and for all the investments made by their families in them that now have evaporated in an instant,” he said. Eastern Cape Liquor Board Spokesperson Mgwebi Msiya said the outlet had a legitimate liquor license. CEO of the Eastern Cape Liquor Board Dr Nombuyiselo Makala said the board was deeply pained by the incident, has revoked the tavern owner’s liquor licence and vowed to open a criminal case. Cause of death Forensic pathologists say initial results indicate that the 21 youth inhaled or ingested something that led to their deaths. National crime scene experts had also been sent to the Eastern Cape to help with the investigation. The SAPS in the Eastern Cape has refuted rumours about the cause of the deaths. Provincial spokesperson Tembinkosi Kinana said, “SAPS forensic investigators are still continuing with the investigation into the deaths of 21 children at Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park.” Owner of tavern The owner of the tavern was reportedly advised to close his business until a full investigation was concluded. In an interview with eNCA, the owner, Siyakhangela Ngevu, said he was on his way to pick up his son from initiation school when he was informed about the incident. He was not present at Enyobeni at the time and received a call at 01h00am that informed him about the “chaos” at his tavern. The tavern held a “pens down” party to mark the end of school exams. Upon Ngevu’s arrival, he noted that there were scores of “underage people” who were allowed access to the venue. He added that the youngsters were pushing and forcing themselves into the party that was already packed. Ngevu said he didn’t know what directly caused the deaths. The Enyobeni Tavern is a two-storey building located in Scenery Park, East London, Eastern Cape, amidst densely populated residences. The building had received complaints from local residents due to its late opening hours and the noise from the building. Although the legal drinking age in South Africa is eighteen, the tavern reportedly served alcohol to minors. The Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB) said it would lay criminal charges against the owner of the Enyobeni Tavern and revoke the liquor licence of the tavern. Board CEO Nombuyiselo Makala stated that the owner flagrantly violated the Liquor Act by serving alcohol to minors. Police Minister Bheki Cele broke down in tears when he met residents and parents of the deceased at the mortuary in East London on Sunday. Parents and families were there to identify the victims. Addressing a crowd at Scenery Park, Minister Cele pointed fingers at the tavern owner, asking why the venue only had one exit and entrance. He also held parents to account and questioned why they had allowed their young children to be out late on a Saturday night. President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his condolences and concern at the deaths in a statement released by his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya. “The President is, however, also concerned about the reported circumstances under which such young people were gathered at a venue, which on the face of it should be off limits to persons under the age of 18.” The statement said: The president expects the law to take its course following investigations into the tragedy. Sources: News24, Daily Maverick, IOL, eNCA, CNN |
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