Witnesses to the demise of 21 young people at Enyobeni tavern are detailing the events that unfolded on the night of the tragic deaths in an inquest held in the Mdantsane Magistrates Court.
Patrons, staff members, and police officers have so far taken the stand, to shed light on the events of the 25 and 26 of June in 2022 in Scenery Park, East London.
This week, the DJ who organized the deadly party took the stand, along with three survivors and an empty bottle collector from Enyobeni.
DJ Cish, or Luhlumelo Ulana, claimed responsibility for planning the party, which coincided with his birthday, to recoup money that the Ndevu's had lost at an ill-attended all white party two weeks earlier.
“I worked with another DJ, Spha, we hired promo girls, but we only expected about a 100 guests. We were shocked to see the massive crowd that night.” He said loadshedding is what made it packed, as other nearby taverns did not have generators like at Enyobeni.
He admitted that as part of the organizing team, they had failed to take security measures to control the crowd.
In the same breath, he said the manager and owner, “Siyakhangela and Vuyokazi Ndevu, should have been responsible for arranging security, as he and his friend were only tasked with overseeing music and increasing sales for the liquor outlet.”
When questioned about his statement by Magistrate Mvuselelo Malindi, Ulana said he had previously been involved in three car accidents. This left him unable to recall that a local man known as “Ankile” had fainted that night and survived, but not before he rushed to tell them that he had smelt gas on the lower level of the double-storey tavern.
It was later put to Ulana that the free entrance at his birthday party is what caused the uncontrollable havoc that night.
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Azola Vitbooi, said she was stuck on the stairs inside the tavern for about 30 minutes, before she ran out of air and fainted.
“The stairs were packed, people were pushing to go downstairs while others wanted to go up to the balcony. I was struggling to get air and eventually fainted.”
She woke up hours later to find people praying over her and other deceased patrons. Surprisingly, the right side of her whole body was numb and could not be moved.
“It took me about three days to be able to use my right leg, I had to practise to walk. I only gained use of my right arm about a year after the incident. Doctors told me my nerves were damaged.”
The 21-year-old Chulumanco Mvolontshi was also lucky to escape with his life. He said he was pushed to the floor, trampled on and suffocated, when other patrons fell on top of him in the overcrowded tavern.
He recalled the piercing smell of pepper spray being administered before the tavern doors were opened to give patrons a chance to escape for air.
Another patron, 25-year-old, Siphiwe Tshabalala, said she had been partying with her friends Sinalo Mthizana, and Thuso Ngaliphi, along with an acquaintance, Inathi Ngoza, who ended up passing away that night.
She and her friends bought liquor and settled on the balcony, when later, she suddenly witnessed bodies being “roughly” carried upstairs and “thrown like bags of meat” on the tavern floor. She said this was preceded by shouts from downstairs that “people were dying.”
In court, the focus was on 17-year-old Ngoza. “We lost her while we were pushing our way into the tavern at around 10 pm that night.” The next time they saw her, she was lying on the tavern floor, eyes fluttering, a small wound on near her upper lip and a jacket covered in blood.
She said she took it upon herself to reposition the other patrons on the floor. “I was in denial, fanning them for air so they could wake up. Some gained consciousness, while it became evident others really were deceased.”
Tshabalala was requested to flip through the post-mortem album book but the task was too daunting. She broke down and court adjourned to resume on Thursday.
Tshabalala said when she left the tavern the next morning at about 5 am, the small wound above her upper lip was the only would on her face, and it had no signs of blood.”
The post-mortem photos she was given in court reveal that Ngoza had also suffered a horrific head injury with blood gushing from the wound.
“This is confusing. I am certain she only had the small but deep cut and nothing else when we left her with staff members after the paramedics arrived.”
Tshabalala said the morning after the incident, they took a bolt cab to Ngoza’s house to inform her parents of her demise. “We were accompanied by a lady I am not familiar with, she said she was the photographer’s girlfriend at Enyobeni.”
The lady also had an injury on her leg and expressed regret for attending the event saying, “my boyfriend had warned me about going to party at Enyobeni, saying that something would be going down at the tavern that night.” Tshabalala said she was too traumatised to probe further.
Meanwhile, an empty bottle collector at the tavern, Ntandazo Maqoma, said when he reported for duty that night, he observed patrons climbing in and out of windows, while those who were outside were forcing to get in by climbing on walls and jumping onto the balcony.
He said he managed to squeeze into the crowd and collect empty bottles, while periodically acting as a bouncer to help the crowd better navigate the packed tavern.
“I don’t know what happened but as the saga unfolded, bodies were stacked up like a mountain, one on top of the other by the door.”He said with the aid of bouncers and other staff, he moved the patrons upstairs to create space by the entrance/exit door.
When the witnesses were asked what they think could have been the cause of death, they said the overcrowding and not enough ventilation inside the tavern.
The inquest will proceed the whole of next week. The first paramedic responder, Alan Hatting, is expected to take the stand.
