While the spotlight has been on Enyobeni Tavern owners who were sentenced after being found guilty of selling liquor to youngsters, the DA has underscored the importance of stern regulations.
Sikhangela Owen Ndevu, 54, and Vuyokazi Ndevu, 45, owners of the bar where 21 children died, were slapped with a 100-day imprisonment sentence or an alternative payment of a R5000 fine for selling liquor to underage persons.
The DA’s Leander Kruger welcomed the guilty finding and subsequent sentencing of the owners in the East London Magistrate’s Court, pointing out that the focus should be on the shortcomings of implementing the current liquor legislation.
Kruger claims that communities across the Eastern Cape are left out in the cold and that complaints about reckless alcohol-selling outlets frequently go unanswered.
The party says it understands that the court can only deal with the merits of the case before it and that the scope of this case dealt only with the charge of selling liquor to minors and not the subsequent tragedy.
“There are still many questions left unanswered, and today’s events will bring little relief to the families who lost children in this event. The R5 000 fine each owner received pales in comparison to the heartbreaking loss of 21 young lives on June 26, 2022.
“Where were the Eastern Cape Liquor Board and other authorities before this senseless loss of lives occurred?”
The local municipality and the liquor board had reportedly received numerous complaints from residents due to the tavern’s late opening hours and the noise from the building.
“On the night in question, a Facebook post marketed the event as a celebration of hlanjwa iphepha (‘pens down’), yet there is little information on what the authorities did to prevent the incident.
“This tragedy has brought into sharp focus the shortcomings of implementing the current liquor legislation. Communities across the Eastern Cape are left in the lurch, and their complaints regarding reckless alcohol-selling establishments often amount to nothing.
“Earlier this month, I tabled a motion in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature calling on the Provincial Government to capacitate the Eastern Cape Liquor Board to play an effective role in controlling the use and abuse of liquor and its resultant socio-economic impacts.
“The motion also calls for mandating the Eastern Cape Liquor Board to embark on a comprehensive education drive to point out the dangers of alcohol abuse and underage drinking and that mechanisms are introduced to facilitate better consultation between the Eastern Cape Liquor Board and local governments so that they may play a more meaningful role in the control of such facilities and the issuing of liquor licences within their jurisdictions.”
The Star