As the country reels from the horrific deaths of 21 teenagers at the Enyobeni tavern in Scenery Park, East London, images from the shebeen’s Facebook page show baby-faced patrons at the establishment was nothing new.
While the owner of the establishment vehemently denied ever allowing underage children on his premises, the images suggest otherwise as youngsters flaunt their booze and some stand in front of the tavern signage, proudly posing for the resident cameraman for pictures which were later shared on the socials.
While postmortem results are yet to reveal what killed the teenagers — the youngest being a 13-year-old — videos and photos from the weekend circulating on social media have revealed how, moments before the deaths, hundreds of young people had filled the street outside the double-storey tavern in the middle of a township residential area.
Although speculation had been that the youngsters — mostly children — were there to celebrate the end of the school term, a Facebook post on the tavern’s website showed that for days on end, the tavern had marketed two birthday parties booked to take place on the night of the tragedy.
“Warning, don’t waste your time searching for vibes. It’s gonna be lit this weekend,” read a part of the invitation posted four days ago.
“Kuzofiwa,” the invited continued, loosely translated to: “It will be a killer event.”
Hookah pipes, food and alcohol were promised in abundance, with R50 entrance fees for normal patrons and R700 to book out the whole VIP section, but others who enquired on the page were told there would be free entry.
“No under 18 individuals will be allowed,” was written on the poster in small print below the list of DJs scheduled to perform.
A day after the tragedy, survivors spoke out about what happened inside the tavern, where some of those who died were found lying across tables, slouched over chairs or simply lying on the ground.
One spoke about how the partygoers had continued drinking and partying amid the deadly chaos. Police minister Bheki Cele said: “They were dancing, and when they collapsed they were just pushed away from the dance floor and left to die.
“Those kids started dying at 2.13am until 4am. They died as they danced. They danced and fell and died — literally. And they were pushed to the side and others kept dancing.
“Others felt dizzy and fell asleep on the sofa and died. Somebody should have done something. These kids are supposed to be under parental supervision,” he said.
Cele brought the matter up during the summit to illustrate the strain on police members, who are being blamed by some for not preventing the deaths.
“A 13-year-old died. A 17-year-old. Nine girls died, 12 boys. And people ask: ‘Where were the police?’ A 13-year-old dies at 4am and you are asking where are the police — really? Why was a 13-year-old out at 4am?”
While Enyobeni had been open for several years, it gained mass popularity in the township after it was renovated, converted into a double-storey building and relaunched last year.
The cause of the deaths at the tavern is part of an ongoing investigation.
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