We must all demand justice for the tavern tragedy families
Parents of teenagers who died at Enyobeni tavern in East London were this week told that their children died of suffocation, but were denied the written postmortem reports. This generated more heat than clarity, not only for the parents but for the country, as many battled to find the link between the latest announcement and preliminary reports, which indicated that traces of methanol — suggesting poisoning — were found in all 21 bodies.
The parents told the media after a meeting with Eastern Cape health department officials that, for reasons unclear to them, they were told to use the Promotion of Access to Information Act if they wanted to see the written reports. This is ostensibly because the department expects legal action.
What is more outrageous is that the department deployed social workers who told the families that the cause of death was not important and that establishing it would not bring back their children. They were told to focus on moving on.
Nothing, indeed, will bring back the children, but is that a good reason to botch an investigation that should help the families to get closure and help the country prevent a recurrence?
The arrogance is breathtaking. Anywhere else the next of kin are entitled to see — without resort to a piece of legislation not taken seriously by government officials — postmortem results. Without this, there can be no closure.
This is not just another bungle or another case of maladministration. It shows downright contempt for the parents and families because, to all appearances, they are poor. It is as if the presence of President Cyril Ramaphosa at the funeral of these teenagers two months ago signified nothing. Even then, what was billed as a mass funeral turned out to be something of a charade, with empty coffins and sleepy leaders in attendance.
While we must welcome health minister Joe Phaahla’s intention to intervene, the conclusion is inescapable that he, too, is merely reactive because the 21 came from a voiceless section of society. We suspect that had such a tragedy happened in an affluent area, the minister, if not the presidency, would have taken the lead to avoid the embarrassing situation unfolding in the Eastern Cape.
From a distance, it looks like someone is trying to dodge accountability for 21 deaths as the entire nation watches — and the national executive looks the other way.
On social media, of course, people don’t wait for evidence to suggest malfeasance. They say if police and other investigators could bungle the case of our national soccer team’s goalkeeper and captain Senzo Meyiwa, what would be so special about 21 unknown youngsters dying in a tavern in the Eastern Cape?
Therein lies the danger for all of us: if government organs like the police and health department are allowed to give us the short end of the stick, to normalise cover-ups, we and our families could be next.
Justice for the 21 families is justice for all of us. It is our democratic duty to demand that the health department in the Eastern Cape engage with the families and ensure that they receive a satisfactory explanation for the deaths, instead of forcing them to jump through hoops. We must insist on the parents of the deceased, who waited patiently for the postmortem results, being treated with respect and empathy.
We all can speculate about the real cause of death. But the parents of the dead teenagers shouldn’t have to endure such ignominy and distress. Their poverty must not be the reason the government treats them differently. The verbal report is woefully inadequate. These parents, who surely had great hopes for their children, are us and we are them. Accepting shabby treatment from the state is normalising our own mistreatment by our own government. This should never be countenanced.
It looks like someone is trying to dodge accountability for 21 deaths