Enyobeni Tavern manager Siyakhangela Ndevu has maintained that the underage children who were in the now infamous tavern had forced their way inside.
Ndevu, testifying on Thursday in the inquest held to determine if anyone should be held criminally liable, said he did not know if at any point anyone was asked to produce IDs to confirm their ages before entering the premises in Scenery Park in June 2022.
A total of 21 young people, aged between 13 and 21, died at the tavern. Only three of the victims were 18 or older. Thirteen were males and eight females.
Questioned by attorney Vuyisile Magqabi, for the victims’ families, Ndevu said nothing was reported to him about patrons being asked to produce their IDs.
“If the person is suspected of being underage, they would be turned back.
“Those children forced themselves inside. I only know of one child who entered who was underage after I saw her in the CCTV footage.”
Ndevu’s evidence is contrary to that given by witnesses including former bouncer Thembisa Diko during the criminal trial in the East London regional court, which later found Ndevu and his wife, tavern owner Vuyokazi, guilty of selling alcohol to a minor.
They were fined R5,000 for selling alcohol to underage patrons.
In the 2023 criminal case, Diko testified the bouncers would not allow underage children into the tavern.
She told the court the children would then go behind their backs and talk to Ndevu who would permit their entry.
At the time, Diko said: “I tried to demand ID from those I saw were under age, but they would swear at us and tell us it’s not our tavern.
“They would go to him [Ndevu] and he would say we must let them in.
“Even the DJ’s girlfriend was under age. He was allowing them to come in. His wife too would allow them in after we turned them away.”
During the inquest proceedings in April, Zingce Sanarhana, 21, who was 18 at the time, told the Mdantsane regional court she was with Esinako, 17, one of the 21 victims, Sisipho,17, and a driver.
No-one checked their ages at the entrance.
Siyamamkela Rungqu, 18, who was 16 at the time, told the inquest that he went to the tavern with his brother and friend.
They were not searched by the bouncers at the entrance when they arrived at the tavern at about 9pm. The door was open.
My children don’t attend such events [pens-down] and I ensure that they sleep at home every day
Ndevu said the group of children who arrived after midnight on June 26 were from a pen’s-down party.
He said that he was unaware of the gathering.
He also claimed the bar had already closed when the crowd forced their way inside, saying the young patrons were “already intoxicated”.
Ndevu, who had been out on errands including sourcing fuel for the generator, said he was alerted to the chaos at the tavern and returned to it at about 2.30am on June 26, to find it was crowded with children forcing entry.
“Some were scaling the fence and others the burglar bars.”
He said he tried to assist his security together with some community members to clear the tavern, but to no avail. He then called the police.
He maintained neither he nor his staff were accountable for what happened in Enyobeni.
“My children don’t attend such events [pens-down] and I ensure that they sleep at home every day.”
Ndevu said the bouncers did not have any weapons on them to disperse the crowd, saying they had an unwritten rule that prohibited employees from carrying or using any weapons.
But Diko testified in both the criminal case and inquest that she used her own pepper spray in a bid to disperse the crowd.
Ndevu said he learnt of this only when Diko gave her testimony in the criminal case.
The inquest continues on Friday.
Daily Dispatch
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