Sandiso Phaliso
AN EMOTIONAL memorial service for eight young women killed in a stampede at a Khayelitsha tavern was marked by strong messages about drinking.
Family and friends of the women cried uncontrollably as speakers described their relationships with them. Candles were lit in memory of the eight while a ninth candle was lit in memory of the unborn child of one of the women.
The central message from speakers was that it was wrong for under-age people to consume alcohol and that adults should drink responsibly.
Community leaders reprimanded parents who allowed their children to go to liquor outlets while tavern owners were told to adhere to liquor licence laws or face the law.
About 1 000 mourners at the service sang hymns before the programme started and minutes later there were cries from all corners of the hall.
The eight young women – Vuyolwethu Mbono, Abulele Nkepu, Asisipho Dana, Ongeziwe Xekethwane, Ongezwa Ndaba, Zimkhitha Malinge, Athi Zokufa and Bongeka Cekiso – will be buried in Khayelitsha and the Eastern Cape this weekend.
They were aged between 15 and 23. Two of them were killed when the vehicle they were being transported in crashed on the way to hospital.
Six people, aged between 17 and 24, were injured.
The survivors told the Cape Times that before the stampede shots were fired inside the tavern.
Athi was celebrating her 15th birthday. “This is a tragedy that could have been avoided,” Chris Hani Secondary School principal Madoda Mahlutshana told mourners yesterday. “This is going to be a lesson to the young ones (that are) here today and to their parents,” said Mahlutshana.
Pupil Sithembiso Nxiweni, 17, told the mourners that Asisipho was “sweet, talkative and a genius in mathematics”.
“She (Asisipho) was in the top 10 at the school and we were looking forward to seeing her make the school proud at the end of the year,” said Nxiweni. Another pupil, Noyise Bugqwangu, spoke about Nkepu, saying “she did not like bad things, was talkative and when I had problems I would go to her and she would advise me as if she was an older person”.
The area’s ward councillor, Mpucuko Nguzo, blamed tavern owners for selling liquor to under-age youth and not closing on time.
“Why were younger people of 15 allowed to enter the tavern?” asked Nguzo.
Nguzo asked parents how they could sleep knowing their children were not at home.
Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said: “It is irresponsible to sell alcohol to a 15-year-old child,” adding that there were many people daily at the Khayelitsha Hospital trauma unit because of stabbings and shootings sustained while the patients were drunk.
ANC metro region chairperson Xolani Sotashe said young people must learn from the tragedy.
He said tavern owners in Khayelitsha must call an urgent meeting and discuss how best to make sure the laws were adhered to.
Western Cape Shebeen Association chairperson Veliswa Poni told the mourners that a meeting of shebeen owners would be held soon and stricter laws would be discussed.