Cause of 21 tavern deaths still a mystery
Victims underage – police launch inquest
THE cause of death of at least 21 underage patrons inside a tavern in Scenery Park, East London, remained a mystery as police opened an inquest docket.
Speculation was rife that the youngsters met their untimely deaths after suffocating on tear gas sprayed inside the tavern. Others believed that they might have been poisoned or died in a stampede because of the overcrowding.
Police however said they don’t want to speculate regarding the cause of the incident as it might risk jeopardising the sensitive investigation that is under way.
Police spokesperson Tembinkosi Kinana said nine of the victims were females and 12 males. Kinana said the inquest docket had been registered for further investigation.
A video that was widely shared on social media showed how packed the tavern had been the previous night, mostly by youngsters. The tavern, known as Enyobeni, had allegedly been flagged as one of the problem drinking spots in the area, where young children were allowed in, with numerous noise complaints and general complaints relating to the behaviour of the patrons by neighbours.
One of the neighbours, identified only as “G-man”, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said the incident occurred while they were waiting for the police to resolve their long-standing grievances regarding the tavern.
“This is the third week that we have been waiting for a response from the police. We went to the police and we met with the Liquor Board. We told them of our grievances and we were instructed to write an affidavit.
“We have been waiting since then with no response. Every weekend we wake up to empty bottles, urine, used condoms and pads in front of our houses and in our yards, and when we raised these issues with the owner he told me to rather erect a yard as he can’t do anything about it. All our endeavours in reporting these to the police have drawn a blank,” he said.
Buffalo City mayor Xola Pakati described the incident as the worst tragedy to ever happen in the metro. Pakati called on law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned and to ensure that those responsible were made to pay.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane condemned what he said was an unfortunate and unlimited consumption of liquor.
“Losing 20 young lives just like that is something that should not be easy in our society. As the government, we are looking at the Liquor Act, which we are currently reviewing, because it allows people to trade liquor wherever they are for as long as they are permitted in terms of the licence.
“The new proposal is that the area must be rezoned. You cannot just trade in the middle of the society and think that young people are not going to experiment,” he said.
In a statement, Mabuyane called for greater parental and community involvement and vigilance in monitoring not only taverns and nightclubs, but also in maintaining general law and order in their communities.
Police Minister Bheki Cele lashed out at the community, saying that the parents must take responsibility for their children. Cele could also not hold back his tears as he addressed the community, detailing how he found the situation inside the morgue.
“As a parent with a 13-year-old that is not at home until 2am-3am it must be concerning. Police will have to campaign and look for similar taverns in the area,” he said.
Cele said though investigations were ongoing, concerns were raised about the tavern, including its one entry and exit point.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stop anonymously at 08600 10111, or via the MySAPSApp, call the Scenery Park police station or the Crime Stop number 086 00 10111.
“You cannot just trade in the middle of the society and think young people are not going to experiment OSCAR MABUYANE Eastern Cape Premier