Wednesday marks two years since the Enyobeni tavern tragedy and the deep wounds left by the deaths of 21 youngsters in the drinking spot in Scenery Park, East London, have yet to heal.
Victims’ families are still on a quest for justice, desperately waiting for closure and answers about what killed their loved ones that Sunday morning.
The grieving families are pinning their hopes for answers on the court inquest, which resumes in July.
In the early hours of Sunday, June 26 2022, 21 youths, many underage, mysteriously collapsed and died in the packed tavern during a “pens down” party.
The government blamed their deaths on suffocation, an explanation that did not satisfy the families.
Furious parents of the children, the youngest aged 13, are still in the dark about what killed them, with some parents saying justice delayed is justice denied.
Many said the trauma still haunted them.
“I will die a broken man,” said Khululekile Ncandana, whose 18-year-old son Bhongolwethu was among the victims.
Ncandana said his wife had been hit hardest.
“His mom couldn’t go to church and she would break down when she went to funerals because she is always thinking of her child.”
On the day of the deaths, his daughter had multiple seizures after hearing of her brother’s death, “something that had never happened before”.
“As families, it has not been easy. It's difficult for us to cope. There is an inquest going on in court which might one day give us the closure we yearn for. All the time I ask myself questions I do not have answers for,” Ncandana said.
Like Ncandana, Xolile Malangana is yet to heal from the shock of his daughter’s death. Esinako Sanarana would have turned 19 this year.
“I don’t know why the government is playing hide and seek with us. The truth is our government does not care for us,” Malangana said.
“The scars we have are yet to heal and this is compounded by the delays in the inquest and failure to conclude and tell us who is to be held responsible for our children’s deaths.”
Ntombizonke Mgangala, whose 17-year-old niece Sinothando Mgangala died at the tavern, said she was “disappointed and exhausted”.
I will not attend any commemoration because nothing positive comes out of it. I will stay at home with my children and pray
— Ntombizonke Mgangala, whose 17-year-old niece Sinothando Mgangala died at the Enyobeni tavern in 2022
“I will not attend any commemoration because nothing positive comes out of it. I will stay at home with my children and pray.”
Mgangala said a promised wall of remembrance had yet to materialise and families were never afforded proper counselling.
Ncandana said families were hopeful the Mdantsane regional court inquest would provide answers.
“The purpose of this inquest is to determine whether there was foul play and if anyone should be held liable for the tragedy.
“It will resume from July 22 to 24 and an additional two weeks from August 12 to 23, and we hope the process will provide us with much-needed answers and maybe the closure we deserve.”
In 2023, it was reported the owners of the tavern had been served with papers, by the Buffalo City metro (BCM), for the demolition of their Scenery Park premises.
At the time, BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the tavern structure was illegal as no building plans had been approved, while the area was a residential area not zoned for business.
During a Dispatch visit to the tavern on Tuesday, it was discovered the building is now a hardware shop. A neighbour, who lives close to the tavern and asked not to be named, said the hardware shop had been operating for a while.
Other internal parts of the building seemed to be abandoned. No renovations have been done. The windows have not been repaired and it seems little has changed since the incident.
Tavern owner Siyakhangela Ndevu who, with his wife, Vuyokazi, was fined R5,000 for selling alcohol to underage patrons, could not be reached for comment.
On Tuesday Ngwenya said: “The municipality is engaging in a number of litigations and legal processes on the violations related to transgressions of its bylaws at erf no 37300 in Scenery Park and its owners.
“The metro is still pursuing this matter as per the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act and this includes several contravention notices and orders that have been served on the owners.”
To keep children away from taverns in the Scenery Park area, Ngwenya said the metro had initiated a number of recreational projects such as an outdoor gym.
“This is one of many developments in the area. Others include a soccer field and sporting programmes. We also support the hosting of sports events and use young people in our cleaning and beautifying projects. We have also built a multipurpose container mall where young people in the area are trading as part of SMMEs development, to keep them busy and off the streets.”
After a probe into the Enyobeni matter in April, the South African Human Rights Commission found the Eastern Cape Liquor Board, despite acknowledging severe human resources challenges, had persisted in issuing liquor licences without the capacity to monitor and enforce compliance.
On Tuesday, liquor board boss Mgwebi Msiya said a lot had been done to remedy that.
“We still have a shortage of inspectors but we are working closely with community structures to improve human capacity, including police, councillors, traditional leaders and the community, whom we have since trained on monitoring compliance in their areas.”
Msiya said traders were also trained in the importance of adhering to regulations, while a number of traders’ associations had since been formed to assist in “self-regulation”.
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