WENDY MOTHATA|
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday expressed his condolences to the families of 22 people who died at Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park, just outside East London in the Eastern Cape.
“My deepest condolences go to the families of the 22 teenagers who lost their lives at a tavern in Scenery Park, East London, in the early hours of this morning,” tweeted Ramaphosa, who is currently in Schloss Elmau in Germany to participate in the G7 Leaders’ Summit at the invitation of the host, Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
In a media statement later, Ramaphosa said he expected the law to take its course following investigations into the tragedy.
“While the President awaits more information on the incident, his thoughts are with the families who have lost children as well as families who are awaiting confirmation of how their children may have been affected,” a statement from the Presidency said.
“This tragedy is made even more grave by its occurrence during Youth Month – a time during which we celebrate young people, advocate and advance opportunities for improved socio-economic conditions for the youth of our nation.”
The statement also said Ramaphosa was also concerned about the reported circumstances under which such young people were gathered at a venue which, on the face of it, should be off limits to persons under the age of 18.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, according to Eastern Cape Police spokesperson Brigadier Thembinkosi Kinana.
Kinana said the victims are believed to between the ages of 18 and 20.
“Upon arrival police found seventeen bodies inside the building. It was later established two more died at a local clinic, one died enroute to hospital and another died in hospital. Nine of the deceased are female while twelve of the deceased are male.”
Police have since registered an inquest into the death of the teenagers.
National police minister Bheki Cele said: “The call is on the parents to see that their kids are kept well, the call is on the community to say we can’t allow our kids to die.”
Cele said the youngest victim of the Enyobeni tavern tragedy is 13 years old.
Cele has also called on residents and affected families to allow police investigations to unfold.
“We have an experienced team that is complementing the provincial team to ensure that we get to the bottom of what has led to the death of these young people. We are also engaging other stakeholders to investigate issues of compliance to liquor legislation,” said Cele.
Earlier, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mbuyane also visited Enyobeni Tavern, saying the incident came as a shock to the provincial government and cast a spotlight on liquor licences and how they were enforced.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has sent its “heartfelt” condolences to the family and friends of those who tragically died at the tavern.
“We are shocked and saddened by this devastating incident regarding the untimely passing of these young people, who attended a birthday party at the tavern. This is deeply distressing, and the whole province will mourn their passing,” the party said in a statement.
“The South African Police Service must fully investigate the root cause of this tragedy, so it’s never repeated again.”
EFF members also arrived on the scene, including some of the party’s councillors from Buffalo City, and called for the demolition of the tavern.
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