COURT FINDS OVERCROWDING CAUSED THE DEATHS OF 21 ENYOBENI VICTIMS, RECOMMENDS PROSECUTION
The KuGompo City Regional Court has ruled that the 21 young people who died in the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy in Scenery Park, East London, on 26 June 2022, died as a result of people-crush asphyxiation caused by overcrowding.
In his inquest judgment, Magistrate Mkhululi Lomalindi found that the deaths were caused by the negligence of several individuals and institutions, including Enyobeni Tavern owners Vuyokazi and Siyakhangela Ndevu, bouncer Thembisa Diko, SAPS Sergeant Thabile Kondile, and Eastern Cape Liquor Board official Zuko Lizani.
Lomalindi also criticised Sergeant Kondile for gross negligence, saying she failed to follow up on complaints about alleged contraventions of the Liquor Trading Act at Enyobeni Tavern a month before the tragedy. According to the court, this failure let down the Scenery Park community.
The court found that all those implicated had failed to properly carry out their duties, contributing to the tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 young people and left many families devastated.
The court has recommended that Sergeant Thabile Kondile, Vuyokazi Ndevu, Siyakhangela Ndevu, Thembisa Diko and Zuko Lizani be prosecuted for their roles in the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said it has noted the court’s findings but has not yet received or fully studied the judgment. The police said their legal services team will first analyse the ruling before providing a detailed response or determining any internal actions that may be required.
SAPS reiterated its commitment to the rule of law and transparency and extended its heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased, assuring South Africans that it takes the matter with the utmost seriousness.
