Durban - The owner of Samukelisiwe Tavern, the scene of the Pietermaritzburg mass shooting, has vowed to challenge the suspension of his liquor licence by the KwaZulu-Natal Liquor Authority.
The memorial service of the four victims of the shooting in Sweetwaters last Saturday took a dramatic turn when the tavern owner was called out of the proceedings by officials from the KZN Liquor Authority to inform him that his licence had been suspended.
Mbuyiseni Mntambo had just delivered words of comfort to the affected families, which had been warmly received by the mourners, when he was called by a family member who informed him of the suspension of the licence.
According to the authority’s chief executive, Bheki Mbanjwa, they conducted an internal investigation after the incident to determine whether any licensing conditions had been contravened. “The KZN Liquor Authority found that security commitments made by the licensee were not adhered to as per the application documents submitted. This resulted in a breach of the licence conditions set out by the authority,” said Mbanjwa.
Following the findings on Wednesday, Mbanjwa continued, they decided to suspend Mntambo’s licence immediately. He pointed out that the licence would be suspended for three months or until Mntambo submitted a plan that satisfied the authority.
Speaking to The Mercury after the service, the tavern owner said he would appeal the decision as he believed it was biased against him. “The officials were here on Monday and they said they were satisfied that we were compliant with all the regulations. I do not understand the sudden turn,” said Mntambo.
He insisted that he was being used as a scapegoat. “Because of the publicity that the incident has generated, now people are just looking for somebody to blame. We had been compliant with all the regulations including having security cameras and I have committed to adding more security,” Mntambo said.
He said he was happy with the support that he had received from the community following the shooting and was determined to continue trading because it was his means of earning a living.
Meanwhile, the community of kwaNxamalala in Sweetwaters has been urged to stay united, especially after the shooting. Messages of courage were expressed during a memorial service at a packed community hall yesterday.
Former ward councillor Babashane Madlala said it was important for the community to stick together, especially under difficult circumstances. “This thing has shocked all of us because we have never had such an experience over the years. Despite this setback we must emphasise that it is important to stay united,” said Madlala.
Sgoza Zuma, an uncle of Nkosinathi Mdladla who was killed during the massacre, said they were saddened by his killing. “When I got a call on Saturday evening the thought was that he had suffered a flesh wound and would be okay, but receiving another phone call on Sunday morning confirming his death was devastating,” said Zuma.
He described his nephew as a well-behaved individual, adding they were still wondering why he had been killed. “This thing has left all the affected families shocked and with a sense of disbelief, but we have to accept that their time had come,” Zuma said.
He applauded the support that the families had received from the community and the local leadership, including the tavern owner.
Some of the figures who attended the memorial service included former Msunduzi Municipality speaker Jabu Ngubo. All four victims will be buried tomorrow.