Johannesburg - The parents of 21 young people at Enyobeni Tavern in East London, Eastern Cape, are still reeling in pain because they don’t know what caused their deaths.
One of the parents, Khululekile Ncandana, who lost a 17-year-old son in the tragedy, said he and other parents were struggling to find closure as they had nothing that told them what really killed their children.
"It's been a year since the passing away of our children; it is still as if it happened yesterday. The pain is still there, and it is unbearable, and there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered," said Ncandana.
The preliminary findings were inconclusive; the parents were told that their children died of suffocation.
The tavern owner, Siyakhangela Ndevu, and his wife, Vuyokazi Ndevu, were arrested and charged with two offences: selling or supplying intoxicating liquor to persons under the age of 18 years, and responsibility for conniving with and permitting employees and agents to sell or deliver intoxicating liquor to persons under the age of 18 years.
The pair pleaded not guilty to both charges, and the trial is still ongoing.
Ncandana accused the government of hiding crucial information about the cause of the deaths.
"When those results were given to us verbally, we rejected them from the onset because we believed that something was being hidden. I mean, even today, a year later, we have nothing in our hands that tells us exactly what happened to our children. So we still have a lot of questions that have not been answered yet. And from what we were given and by who we were given, we still have a lot of questions from our side," he said.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it viewed the case in a very serious light and had assigned senior prosecutors to guide the investigations as mandated by the Constitution to ensure that those criminally liable for the tragedy were prosecuted and faced the full might of the law.
NPA Eastern Cape spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the families of the young children, some of whom were under age, the affected community, and South Africans at large were anxious to see justice served for the children.
"The NPA is committed to a victim-centred approach that prioritises justice for crimes committed against the most vulnerable in our society, especially women and children. The NPA will continue keeping the families of the deceased informed of any new developments, and public announcements on any decision regarding the case will only be made after the families have been updated," said Tyali.
The Star