Youngsters at a pens-down celebration near a tavern in East London’s Nompumelelo township on Saturday stumbled into the middle of a deadly fight that ended with two young men dead, seven people — from both sides — in hospital, and a taxi on fire.
The survivors claim they were ambushed by men armed with knives who climbed out of a taxi and attacked partygoers, allegedly led by a taxi operator who had returned to the tavern in a jealous rage after an earlier argument over a girl.
She was among those admitted to hospital.
The celebrations began on Saturday afternoon with singing and dancing pupils filling the streets. Later, they went to the tavern to continue partying, according to family and friends of one of the dead.
The younger victim has been identified as Ntando Nkasayi, 18. The other, who was 27, cannot be named yet.
I was shocked when I found his head stuck in a fence and the rest of his body lying on the other side of the fence. He was still alive.
Nkasayi’s father, Andile, said his son left home on Saturday night at about 10pm and came back at about 4am. Half an hour later, he left again.
“I heard people calling me from outside, but they didn’t tell me what had happened,” he said.
“I followed the crowd and started looking for my son.
“I was shocked when I found his head stuck in a fence and the rest of his body lying on the other side of the fence. He was still alive.”
He said he could not wait for an ambulance, so he rushed his son to hospital.
“When we arrived there, he was put in a wheelchair but collapsed before he could be attended to by the doctor, who declared him dead.”
Andile said that after seeing his son’s bloody clothes, he examined his body and found 15 stab wounds.
Police confirmed the attacks.
“Two cases of murder have been opened and the investigation is ongoing,” Capt Hazel Mqala said.
Tavern owner Nomfundo Viola Madini said the pens-down party was not hosted at her establishment on Saturday night. She said she now felt she had been stripped of her rights because her sole income came from the tavern that had now been closed.
“My establishment has not hosted any event after the Enyobeni tragedy.”
A community member, who did not want to be named, said the incident started at the tavern but escalated outside.
One of the victims was stabbed outside his house as he was leaving, according to community members, who claimed the attackers had no reason for targeting any of their victims, several of whom had not been involved in the original tavern altercation.
“The victims did not know each other; they were met with violence by the people who came from the taxi, and two people died as a result of the altercation.
Eastern Cape Liquor Board spokesperson Mgwebi Msiya said he was alerted by community members about the attack near a local tavern.
“I contacted the police and we went to the scene together,” Msiya said.
“We had already warned taverns to expect pens-down parties and asked law enforcement to be on high alert.”
He said the board was working closely with police and would continue to monitor taverns in the area.
Residents said the violence may have started at a tavern after an argument over a girl, but claimed the attackers later moved into the streets and began stabbing people randomly.
Emihle Aliva, 21, who was with Nkasayi before the incident, said they had drinks with friends and later went to a house hosting a pens-down party nearby.
“When we were on our way home, a taxi appeared and people started attacking us,” she said.
Another community member, who asked not to be named, said: “I got a call that [people in a taxi] were driving around stabbing people.
“When we got to the scene, we found two people had been killed.”
The community is calling for better policing, stricter controls over taverns and justice for the victims.
Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Daily Dispatch
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