The mass funeral service of the 21 teenagers who tragically died at the Enyobeni tavern in East London will be held on Wednesday.
Nineteen empty coffins will be transported to the Scenery Park Sports Ground where the service will take place.
At the Scenery Park Sports Ground, families will have a chance to speak about their loved ones.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is also attending the funeral.
The representative of the funeral parlour, Elaine Gogo, says an agreement about the process was reached with the families of the victims.
“The families have also agreed that we must bring the coffins without their children. And then those who will be buried after this service, they [those families] will go to our agency [funeral parlour] in Mdantsane and then collect their loved ones for a private burial,” says Gogo.
The video below is reporting on final preparations:
Strengthening regulations governing the sale of alcohol
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has called for a review and strengthening of the regulations governing the sale of alcohol in communities, to prevent incidents like what occurred at the Enyobeni tavern in East London.
Mabuyane says a collective approach is needed to deal with the loopholes.
“This incident has opened our eyes to a number of areas where we need to strengthen. That [strengthening] needs a collective effort. We have seen some weaknesses in the current existing Act. We have already embarked on the process of reviewing the Act and looking at issues of demarcation. So that you don’t operate everywhere you want to [operate],” adds Mabuyane.
Roads fixed ahead of the funerals:
Meanwhile, the oversight visit by the Portfolio Committee for women, youth and persons with disabilities was cut short in East London as entry to the Enyobeni Tavern was barred.
Portfolio Committee Chairperson Nonhlahla Ncube-Ndaba expressed her disappointment when she found the tavern doors locked.
“As members of Parliament, we have the right to come and do our oversight. No one must bar us or block us from doing our job. So that is why people must be held accountable for whatever they are doing. We are going to do our work.”-Additional reporting by Lubabalo Dada
GALLERY:
