Following an announcement on Monday that the president will join Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, to comfort the grieving families of the deceased in the Enyobeni Tavern, Scenery Park in East London on Wednesday, the ANC Youth League says South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is not welcome.
Ramaphosa will be in attendance at the mass funeral service on Wednesday, for the 21 young people who died at Enyobeni Tavern in East London.
The 21 young people died last Sunday at a pub in Enyobeni Scenery Park in the Eastern Cape. The survivors of the incident shared versions of the traumatic experience. The young people are said to have collapsed and died from chemical poison said to have been sprayed into the air.
Forensic teams are still probing the cause of death at the venue. The Scenery Park community has expressed their concern and frustration of this establishment and others in the area since the incident took place, as there have been many complaints about establishments allegedly not abiding by the law of not selling alcohol to persons under the age of 18.
The Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and the provincial and local government leaders will join the President at the funeral service to comfort the families of the deceased youth.
Regional chair of the ANC Youth League, Ondela Hlokomane said:
“What is it that the president is coming here to do? We understand that he’s here to mourn, but we question the capabilities of his government because from time to time, Ramaphosa is talking about building a capable state and we question his capability of doing that. As much as we are the youth league of the ANC, we are saying that his presence here will mean nothing to the youth of Scenery Park, in particular, because he has failed to deal with the de Ryter of Eskom.
We are in a dark country, which leads to young people having to go and play in the streets and be vulnerable to all these types‘ of societal ills. So we were not fazed by his presence because what was it bringing? Unless he’s coming here to pronounce a clear programme that will empower young people in this country, then his presence here will be meaningless.”
Tavern owner, Thundezile Moya, says it is crucial to stick to the regulations for operating the business.
“It is very important to comply and respect your business so that it can run smoothly even though we don’t like to be monitored every now and again,” she said.