Cape Town - Seven of the eight young women who died in the tavern stampede in Khayelitsha have been identified, but families say they do not have money to bury their loved ones.
Ongeziwe Xekethwane, Abulele Nkepu, Vuyolwethu Mbono, Athi Zokufa, Assipho Dana, Ongezwa Ndaba and Zimkhitha Malinge died early on Sunday.
They were partying at Osi’s Place in Makhaza in Khayelitsha when, according to survivor Yonelisa Sulelwa, 19, shots were fired and people ran screaming to the door.
People surged through the first-floor door and on to a narrow entrance. The railing gave in and people fell 3m to the ground.
The dead were between 15 and 23 years old and the injured are between 17 and 24.
Six died at the scene and two died when the car they were travelling in to hospital was involved in an accident.
Some of the families say they are unable to bury their loved ones because they either have casual jobs, or are unemployed and depend on hand-outs for survival. Nolutho Qeba, aunt of deceased Abulele Nkepu, 19, said for survival the family depended on Nkepu’s grandmother Nowezile Nkepu, 75, and the pension grant would not be enough to help with the burial. She said Nkepu was living with her unemployed uncle.
Patricia de Lille’s spokesperson, Pierrinne Leukes, said: “City policy permits the mayor to disburse a discretionary grant towards funeral costs for the burial of minors (under-18s). If we are approached to provide assistance we can consider it.”
DA MP Tandeka Gqada said visiting the families had been enough. She said the DA was not a burial society and the families should approach the government.
ANC chairperson Marius Fransman said they would offer financial assistance.
Cape Times