During the funeral of 21 teenagers who died in the Enyobeni tavern tragedy, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the parents of the children are not to blame but those profiteering from selling alcohol to minors are. He was giving a eulogy at Scenery Park in East London at the mass funeral for the teens, the youngest victim being 13.
The president was right and it ended in tears for the owner. Today the owner of the Enyobeni tavern and two employees in East London, Eastern Cape, have been arrested. The arrests are in connection with the tragedy in which 21 young people died at the tavern more than two weeks ago.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana said the arrest of the 52-year-old suspect and two employees – aged between 33 and 34 – followed a criminal complaint laid by the Eastern Cape Liquor Board laid at Scenery Park Police Station for contravention of the Liquor Act. The ANCYL has reacted to the arrest, saying they commend the police for acting swiftly.
We know that the youngest who died in the tavern tragedy was just 13 years old. The owner will appear in court next Tuesday. The two staff members have been given an option to pay a fine. Police say the forensic investigation is still underway.
The infamous Enyobeni tavern owner left many in shock when he was overheard being delighted, and claiming he is now a celebrity when a journalist contacted him for an interview.In Thursday night’s episode of Checkpoint, the tavern’s owner, Siyakhangela Ndevu, was contacted to answer for the tragic death of 21 teenagers at his tavern in Scenery Park, East London, last week. The journalist asked him for an interview. “Mbasa, you can talk to me tomorrow. Call me at 9AM tomorrow so we’ll arrange the interview,” he is heard saying. The journalist did not hang up after speaking to the tavern owner and he could hear him boasting about how much of a public figure he has become after the children’s deaths.
The owner had to be arrested so that others can learn a lesson. It is irresponsible for business owners to put profit first and not care about lives. Another tavern owner who deserves to be arrested is the one who ran a competition of finishing a bottle of Jagermeester for R200. A young man lost his life because of the competition. Business owners need to learn to be responsible!