East London beachfront mayhem turns fatal
Teenager stabbed to death, another hit by car and ambulances pelted with bottles in wild weekend of partying
The East London beachfront suburb of Quigney was once again plunged into chaos at the weekend with underage drinking and related crimes, with ambulances pelted with bottles when they tried to respond to calls at the beachfront.
One teenager was stabbed to death, another hit by a car and a 12-year-old girl was reportedly raped.
A car ploughed into a building and 15 underage teenagers were rushed to hospital for suspected alcohol poisoning after a night of mayhem on Saturday.
From Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning, hundreds of alcohol-consuming teenagers descended on the Leighandre “Baby Lee” Jegels Recreational Park, commonly known as “the stoep”.
This was despite the Eastern Cape Liquor Board and BCM’s advice not to attend weekend street parties.
The gathering proved too big for authorities to handle as teens and children as young as 12 filled Moore Street, Currie Street and the Esplanade.
Quigney Community Policing Forum treasurer Fiona Bomvu said they had not anticipated a large turnout.
“Apparently, it started in Scenery Park before it moved here on Saturday. The park was full; they were just everywhere and uncontrollable,” she said.
She said beer bottles were thrown at police when they came to disperse the crowd on Saturday night.
“The police arrived very late. The kids shouted and threw bottles at the police van.
“They told us they have rights and there’s nothing we can do to them.
“It got out of control but the police and law enforcement officers managed to control the situation eventually.”
Bomvu said they had received numerous complaints and encountered a 12 year-old girl who was allegedly raped near the beachfront.
“We found another one who was raped at a field in Seaview Terrace. When we arrived there, three men escaped
who had raped her.
“Another teen was hit by a car in Currie Street and one was stabbed to death near KFC in Fleet Street.”
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu confirmed that police were investigating a case of murder.
It is understood that the deceased, who was a pupil at Kusile Comprehensive School in Duncan Village, had earlier partied at the beachfront with
his friends. He was stabbed next to the Munifin Building in the East London CBD.
Naidu said police responded to the complaint just before 5am on Sunday.
“A 16-year-old was found lying with a stab wound on his upper body,” she said.
“The deceased was with his friends near KFC drinking liquor when four unknown men appeared with knives and wanted to rob them of their liquor and cellphones.
“They ran away but, unfortunately, the deceased was caught and stabbed to death by one of the [men],” she said
Provincial health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo confirmed that emergency medical services staff rushed to the beachfront to help the youngsters.
“Frere Hospital only saw two youths for alcohol-related [cases] ... they came from the beachfront,” Kupelo said.
“Our ambulances were pelted with bottles and the manager on duty had to withdraw them. A private ambulance was also attacked.”
Quigney Ratepayers’ Association chair Satish Nair said residents were fed-up with the noise and littering.
Nair accused BCM of a lack of competence for not preventing the rampage early.
In a statement, metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya urged the community to speak out against the culture of underage drinking “before something happens”.