The trial of the Enyobeni tavern owners Siyakhangela and Vuyokazi Ndevu has adjourned until Thursday.
A bouncer who worked at the tavern on the night of the tragedy, Thembisa Diko, testified in the East London Magistrates court that she was overwhelmed by the youthful crowd.
She says she abandoned her work station due to the work overload, leaving the entrance to the tavern unattended.
Diko testified that when she alerted the tavern owner Siyakhangela Ndevu about the work overload, he didn’t reply to her request for back up.
Diko says she initially turned away the 13-year-old child who was the youngest to die in the tragedy. She said the child later gained entry after she left the door.
She further told the court that some children who would have been barred from gaining entry at the tavern would turn to Mr Ndevu, and he would allow them entry, including the underaged girlfriend of the tavern’s dj.
Twenty one young people died in the Enyobeni tragedy in East London in 2022.
The young people died at the tavern during a pen down celebration party. According to reports by the Department of Health, the young people died of asphyxiation, but their parents have rejected the report, alleging that some information is being withheld from them.
One year since the Enyobeni tavern tragedy:
