Many questions remain on second Enyobeni anniversary
Two years since the Enyobeni tavern tragedy, the families of the young people killed at an establishment in Scenery Park, East London are still looking for answers.
Twenty-one young people, aged between 13 and 21, died during celebrations for the end of exams on 26 June 2022.
A postmortem report revealed that most of the victims died of suffocation, however, the victims' families say they are still saddened and disappointed by the lack of a conclusive report into the cause of their children's deaths from authorities.
Meanwhile, Convenor of National Liquor Traders Lucky Ntimane says this day will forever be a stain on the country's efforts to protect young people.
“The 26th of June will remain etched in our memory as a tragedy that shaped the core foundations of our society in terms of our ability as a society to take care of our children. The unnecessary deaths of 21 kids, reminds us of the very responsibility that we as liquor traders abdicated in the quest to maximise profits at the expense of our people.”
The commemoration of this incident comes as the World Health Organisation recently revealed that 2.6 million people around the world die from alcohol-related causes annually.
READ MORE: 2.6 million die annually due to alcohol: WHO
The Enyobeni tavern tragedy sparked discussions around alcohol abuse among the youth, and the sale of alcohol to minors by liquor traders.
Earlier this year, Enyobeni tavern owners Siyakhangela and Vuyokazi Ndevu were found guilty of selling liquor to minors. No one has been held accountable for the deaths.
Ntimane says liquor traders need to act more responsibly.
“We will continue to work with provincial liquor boards across the country and all the relevant stakeholders comprising of South African Police Service (SAPS), Liquor manufacturers, community leaders and civil society at large to ensure that we address the scourge of alcohol abuse in our country and inculcate the spirit of trading responsible where we put the lives and health of our people first ahead of the profits.”
The owners were sentenced to 100 days in prison or a R5,000 fine, much to the shock and disappointment of affected families.
Their liquor trading license was withdrawn by the Eastern Cape Liquor Board.
