The 21 victims of the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy were honoured in a mass funeral held in Scenery Park, East London, on Wednesday
Enyobeni Tavern mass funeral gets backlash on social media
Large crowds gathered at the marquee tent set up in the township to pay tribute to the 21 children aged between 13 and 17 who died under mysterious circumstances at a local nightclub on Sunday, 26 June 2022.
“The youths came from different areas of East London to the tavern to only to depart from this world with dreams unaccomplished, bereaved families in agony, the province poorer of talent, and South and the world saddened and mourning,” the Eastern Cape government wrote in a statement.
The mass funeral, from what we understand, is not an actual send-off. Instead, 21 empty coffins were brought in and displayed at the venue as a means to commemorate the tribute and honour the Enyobeni Tavern victims’ families.
When the procession concludes, the provincial government explained, the bodies of the victims will be returned to their respective families, where private funerals will be held.
Police Minister Bheki Cele and President Cyril Ramaphosa are expected to address the mass funeral, which you can watch live below:
The Enyobeni Tavern tragedy remains a mystery more than a week after the victims’ lifeless bodies were discovered strewn across the floor of the local nightclub.
Conspiracies have dominated speculation around the cause of the mass deaths, but as things stand, investigators have yet to offer closure to families with concrete information on what exactly led to the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy.
On social media, observers have been critical of the provincial government’s decision to fund the mass funeral, held in honour of the victims.
Here are some of the reactions:
Knowing very well how corrupt ANC is, I hope we won't hear any stories of funds being misused
— .🇿🇦🇮🇱🇿🇦🇮🇱🇿🇦🇮🇱🇿🇦🇮🇱🇿🇦🇮🇱 (@NkosinatiMagwa) July 6, 2022
👀😤😩#EnyobeniTavern Bheki Cele SAPS Cyril Ramaphosa East London Scenery Park pic.twitter.com/n0qgYcRthd
#EnyobeniTavern
— #RememberMarikana🇿🇦 (@LiberalsAreNaiv) July 6, 2022
We can say all sorts of things, but this one is a "direct result of moral decay" in our societies.
Even in this funeral, iintswelaboya ziyavungama xa kuthiwa maziphakamele abantu abadala ezitulweni.
East London #MassFuneral #SceneryPark pic.twitter.com/QeZ6P8Yqos
Which political party is going to hijack the funeral from grieving families and an entire community.PLEASE NO POLITICAL SPEECHES .Respect the families#EnyobeniTavern
— Paul Murray (@fredasekind) July 6, 2022
A mass funeral for 21 alcoholic kids who died at #EnyobeniTavern will be held with government money while kids who drowned due to luck of service delivery trying to cross a river to school are buried by their parents. welcome to Africa
— Saved by his grace (@mzikomichael124) July 6, 2022
Sk khoza #NationalShutdown sithelo macg