POLL | Are parents also responsible for the deaths of youngsters in the Enyobeni tavern tragedy?

The deaths of at least 20 young people at Enyobeni Tavern in the Eastern Cape at the weekend has sparked debate about who should be held responsible for the tragedy.

The tavern in Scenery Park in East London was shut down on Sunday after 17 patrons inexplicably died in the venue. Another three died in hospital while two remain in hospital in critical condition. Police are investigating.

The Daily Dispatch reported initial speculation was that patrons were exposed to some form of poison as none of the bodies they could see had visible injuries. 

Bodies were seen lying as if patrons collapsed suddenly while dancing or in conversation. Some were seen slumped across chairs and over tables.

As many questioned the venue’s management, amid claims minors as young as 13 frequented the tavern and were the victims, police minister Bheki Cele suggested parents also needed to take responsibility.

He said they should be aware of their children’s whereabouts and enforce curfews.

“I stay with my boy who is in university in Cape Town. He came back home after 11pm on Friday night and I sat him down and told him you don’t come home after 11pm,” Cele said.

Cele broke down while speaking about the deaths and said what he witnessed inside the tavern was horrifying. He said authorities would investigate the tragedy.

Buffalo City mayor Xola Pakati said the tragedy “can be equated to a massacre” and urged authorities to leave no stone unturned.

One survivor recounted how a dying victim begged her to save her life.

“One of those who died there cried for help as I was rushing outside, saying, ‘Sisi, please help me, I’m dying’. I could see she was drawing her last breath. She was lying down and people were all over her. It was like a horror movie.”

The survivor said people struggled to get out of the tavern when a stampede ensued.

“People were struggling to breathe because they [tavern staff] had sprayed something,” she alleged.