Enyobeni Tavern: Parents threaten shutdown if not given post-mortem results

Some parents of the children who died in the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy have threatened to shut down East London if they are not given the post-mortem results of their children by Monday afternoon.

On Thursday, the Eastern Cape department of health kept mum following the release of the final toxicology results on the deaths of 21 teenagers who died in June at the tavern in Scenery Park, citing “confidentiality”.

The department would only tell the parents their children had died of suffocation, not methanol poisoning, as alleged weeks ago.

Xolile Malangeni, a parent of 17-year-old Esinako, who died at the tavern, demanded President Cyril Ramaphosa tell the department the parents must receive their children’s post-mortem results by Monday.

Malangeni said they had even been prevented from reading the results. A doctor had read them to each family without allowing them to see the results.

“They claimed the results were confidential,” he said. “They just read the results but we were never allowed to see them.

“They say we must apply in court to get the results. “We do not understand why because we are parents of these children. I cannot apply to see the post-mortem of my child.

“They told us the children died from suffocating. We just want to know why they did not find the poison or chemicals they claimed to have found before.

“I feel like I do not have rights because it is my child and I am supposed to know what the cause of death was,” Malangeni said.

“We are giving him the weekend to speak to [the department of health] and if he does not, we will see what action to take.

“We are either going to shut down East London or we will do something. We are not threatening, but we want to say as the parents who are not at peace, we will do something.”

Yesterday, police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana confirmed the post-mortem results had been released.

Following procedure, the investigating team would take the results and consult the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

“They will look at the results; check the correct interpretation of the results before a determination is made on whether or not to go to court and who needs to be charged, if anybody.”

During a media briefing on Thursday, provincial health spokesperson Siyanda Manana said the report was a confidential document because the matter was still an inquest.

Despite the long wait by South Africans to know what happened to the children, Manana said he could not disclose the cause of death.

“The cause of death is contained in the documents which we have… As a department, we are not mandated to disclose the cause of death.

“There are issues between a patient and a doctor; in this instance, it is important that you respect the right of a person, even if that person has passed on.”

He said the department had solicited a legal opinion on the matter, which was what was guiding them at this point.

“There’s nothing sinister about what we are doing,” he said. Eastern Cape regional NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said yesterday Enyobeni Tavern owner Vuyokazi Ndevu, 43, the registered holder of the liquor licence, was added to the case of her husband, Siyakwamkela Ndevu, the registered manager.

Tyali said they were both charged with selling or supplying liquor to persons under the age of 18, and responsible for permitting employees and agents to sell or deliver intoxicating liquor to persons under the age of 18 years.

He said another leg of the case, which related to the release of the toxicology report, was still under investigation by the police.

“The NPA awaits a docket from the police, before deciding on possible further charges,” he said. “The families of the young children, some under age, the affected community and South Africans at large are anxious to see justice served for their children, who died in such tragic circumstances,” he said.

“We are committed to a victim-centred approach, that prioritises justice for crimes committed against the most vulnerable in our society.”

ALSO READ: Wife of Enyobeni tavern boss appears in the dock with husband

– lungam@citizen.co.za