SOWETAN | Lessons of Enyobeni go unheeded

Today marks exactly a year since 21 teenagers died at Enyobeni tavern in East London under tragic circumstances. For the families of those who perished on that fateful day, the pain still cuts deep especially as answers to their many questions on the cause of the deaths remain unanswered till today.

Of course, the wheels of justice have started turning with the trial of tavern owners Siyakhangela Ndevu and his wife Vuyokazi, which began in April.

The pair have been accused of contravening the Liquor Act for allegedly selling alcohol to underage children or coercing employees to sell to minors. But it is still a long way before the full truth behind the tragedy is known both to the families and the country. For those who lost their loved ones the trial and the anniversary will serve as the reopening of the wounds.

The deaths of teenagers raised the spectre of increasing alcohol use among young people and equally poor regulatory frameworks that are in place to prevent the sale of liquor to minors.

So today we must ask what lessons have been learnt from this tragedy to prevent such incidents from happening and bring about lasting change that will protect young people.

The truth is the selling of alcohol to underage children did not begin that day in Enyobeni, nor did it end then.

According to the Human Sciences Research Council, data from a 2014 South African Social Attitudes Survey highlighted the extent of underage drinking among 10,997 grade 8-11 pupils.  It found that an alarming 17.2% of 13-year-olds and 18.4% of 14-year-olds engaged in binge drinking.

In the immediate months following the Enyobeni tavern deaths efforts were made to speak about the need to tighten liquor regulations and enforce laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors.

Speaking at the mass funeral of the teenagers, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “Our country has extensive laws to address and combat substance and alcohol abuse. We are not short of laws. The problem lies in their implementation.”

But as time has gone by it appears the tone of the authorities has become more tepid. Unless demonstrable action is taken to enforce laws on liquor sale and licenses, the tragic problem will simply continue elsewhere.