The father of one of the 21 victims of the Enyobeni tavern tragedy has given emotional testimony about his desperate attempt to save his son’s life after receiving a late-night call alerting him to the unfolding disaster.
Lulamile Mkhanda, father of 17-year-old Lungile Bekiso, described the chaos and heartbreak he experienced when he arrived at the Scenery Park tavern in the early hours of June 26 2022.
Speaking at the Mdantsane regional court on Monday, Mkhanda said he was at home with his wife when they received a panicked call from their eldest daughter after midnight, alerting them to a tragedy at the tavern.
We managed to get inside from the lower level. Outside the building, near the entrance, I saw four children lying on the ground.
— Lulamile Mkhanda, father of 17-year-old Lungile Bekiso
“My wife got the call, and I told her to arrange transport while I contacted my son-in-law,” Mkhanda said. “We ran there on foot.”
When he arrived at the scene, he found a crowd gathered outside and chaos unfolding.
“We managed to get inside from the lower level. Outside the building, near the entrance, I saw four children lying on the ground.
“Before I could take in what I was seeing, a young boy pointed out where my son was.”
Mkhanda said he rushed to Lungile, who was lying face-up. His son-in-law turned Lungile’s body to the side and tried to wake him.
“I touched his neck — he was still warm but not responding,” Mkhanda recalled.
Choking back emotion, Mkhanda told the court that Lungile and other bodies were lying about five metres from the building. He said he received no help from any Enyobeni staff.
“A man I didn’t recognise told me my son was just drunk and had passed out. My son-in-law and I took Lungile to the Empilweni Community Health Centre,” he said.
There, the two men waited for hours for medical staff to examine Lungile.
“We were later told by a nurse that my son had died.”
Mkhanda said he had remained in denial, clinging to hope during the long wait.
“From the time I found him to when we reached the clinic, I believed he was still alive. His body was still warm. I tried everything to get help in those early hours of the morning, hoping he could be saved.”
Lungile was one of 21 young people — aged between 13 and 21 — who died at the Enyobeni tavern that night, a tragedy that shocked the nation and sparked ongoing calls for accountability and reform.
When questioned by the tavern manager, Siyakhangela Ndevu, Mkhanda said he believed the court would ultimately decide who should be held responsible.
The inquest continues on Tuesday, with Mkhanda expected to identify his son in photos presented in court. The tavern’s owners, Siyakhangela and Vuyokazi Ndevu, are also expected to testify.
On Thursday last week the families held a third commemoration ceremony in Scenery Park to honour the victims and renew demands for justice.
In the wake of the tragedy, the bereaved families have formed a nonprofit organisation, Scenery Park 21, to remember their children and raise awareness about the dangers of underage drinking and the responsibilities of tavern owners. Their mission, they say, is to prevent any parent from ever having to experience what they have endured.
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