File
Eastern Cape police have confirmed that the results of the post-mortems conducted on the 21 young victims of the Enyobeni tavern tragedy in East London have been made available to investigators.
Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana, said as a matter of procedure, the Detectives will now engage with the National Prosecuting Authority on the matter.
He said they would make a determination on whether the matter will be ready for the court based on the interpretation of the results.
Once this consultation is concluded with the Prosecuting Authority, the investigating team will then begin to update the affected families on the process of investigation," Kinana said.
The families of the young victims have been waiting anxiously for the final results after an initial effectively ruled out alcohol poisoning, carbon monoxide poisoning, or a stampede, but levels of methanol were, at the time, unexplained.
The Eastern Cape Health Department says it will not disclose the contents of the toxicology report released on Thursday.
"What we have done was really for us, as a Department to communicate what was the cause of death. We have done so. But, we cannot publicly come out and say this is what has happened because it's a confidential document. The families have been informed," said Department spokesperson, Siyanda Manana.
Meanwhile, the tavern manager and two employees appeared in court in relation to charges laid by the Eastern Cape Liquor Board.
The tavern manager, 52-year-old Siyakwamkela Ndevu has been charged with Contravening the Liquor Act by selling or supplying alcohol to children under the age of 18.
Two of his employees, Xoliswa Duma and Sivuyile Ngamlana were also arrested in June and fined R2000 each.
Ndevu will be back in court on the 2 September.
