On the eve of the anniversary of the Enyobeni tavern horror, underage drinking shows no signs of declining as scenes of youths, many visibly drunk, some passed out, played out on the East London beachfront at the weekend.
The teenagers converged on Quigney, East London, on Saturday afternoon for a pens down party, despite warnings from authorities not to hold the party.
In what seemed to be a planned gathering, about 700 teenagers gathered at the beachfront on Saturday afternoon, later converging on Moore Street.
By Saturday evening, many of the youngsters were visibly drunk, while others had passed out.
When the Dispatch arrived, law enforcement officials were battling to control the crowd.
It was only after 1am on Sunday that officials managed to move the crowd.
By that time, some of them were stranded, saying they had no transport money to get home.
Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the city’s security cluster had responded to pens down parties at the East London beachfront, as well as in Amalinda and Dimbaza.
He said five children had been taken to hospital due to excessive drinking.
“Bottles of alcohol were emptied and warnings issued to law breakers to leave.
“Fifteen children were escorted home as part of a prevention of missing persons, and one parent was assisted in rescuing her child at the beachfront,” Ngwenya said.
“BCM is extremely disappointed with the attitude of some parents as they fail to control their children who drink excessively in the name of pens down.”
Eastern Cape Liquor Board CEO Dr Nombuyiselo Makala said they had been alerted to the incident in Quigney at around 8pm on Saturday.
“We quickly responded by calling the police and sending out our inspectors.
“We humbly request parents to ensure they are vigilant and know the whereabouts of their children.
“Because the schools are closed now the children will be out there. Parents need to play their role and look after their children.”
Makala said there were reports that youngsters pay people over the age of 18 to buy them alcohol.
“Fifteen children were escorted home as part of a prevention of missing persons, and one parent was assisted in rescuing her child at the beachfront,”
— Sam Ngwenya
“We have received reports that older people buy alcohol for the underaged. We plead with them [to stop that].
“Once we find them doing this we will not hesitate to refer that person to the police. It is against the law.”
In the week preceding the first anniversary of the Enyobeni tragedy, the Dispatch team visited several outlets in BCM to see if they complied with the law forbidding the sale of alcohol to minors.
Liquor outlets in Duncan Village, Scenery Park, Quigney, East London CBD, Berea and Nahoon were visited.
Of the 10 establishments visited on Tuesday and Wednesday, only one had a security guard.
No outlet during the team’s visit asked patrons, who looked underage, for their IDs.
One establishment in Duncan Village had a sign that states that no under-18s are allowed but it had no security guard or bouncer, as required by the liquor licence conditions, and there were visibly underage patrons.
In Scenery Park, patrons who looked young were served alcohol without being asked for their IDs.
In the CBD, an underage patron was allowed inside a liquor outlet, which had a security guard in attendance, to buy a cold drink.
According to licence conditions, no under-18s are allowed inside a liquor outlet.
In Nahoon, an establishment served alcohol to three youngsters without asking them if they were of legal age.
In Quigney, two youngsters were reluctant to enter one of the popular hangout spots.
The Dispatch team heard them asking “singene? [can we enter?]”.
Each had a flavoured beer in their hands and because there was no security guard at the entrance, they entered.
In an establishment in Berea, a patron who looked underage was allowed inside without being asked for an ID.
Liquor Board spokesperson Dr Mgwebi Msiya said: “Liquor outlets, according to licence conditions, are supposed to have a security guard or a bouncer at the entrance of their premises.”
If a patron is suspected to be under the age of 18, Msiya said, it is the responsibility of the licence holder to request an ID.
“If a patron cannot produce an ID, they must not be allowed to enter the premises. This is a standard requirement."
Msiya said liquor outlets serving food must have a demarcated area for children.
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