A DJ who worked as part of the entertainment at the Enyobeni Tavern where 21 school children died in June 2022 has revealed that he was given free alcohol as payment for his services.
The DJ, whose real name is Lihlumelo Lulani, said the tavern owner would give him and other entertainers free drinks to give to the artists and other DJs who plied their services at the establishment.
“Yes we were given free drinks as we were not being paid. The last time I saw Mr Ndevu, the owner, was at out 9pm. I was with him to get the drinks for the artists. He was sponsoring me and the other DJs free drinks. He would do this when DJs and artists were not being paid.”
Lulani was the first witness that the inquest for the tragedy which began on Monday at East London Regional Court where the hearings are being heard.
The inquest is tasked with looking into who should be held responsible for the deaths of 21 pupils two years ago after pupils died celebrating the end of exams at a pens-down party.
Furthermore, he revealed that the two-storey establishment was overcrowded which made moving around very difficult, adding that the overcrowding was due to the over-marketing of the event.
“It was difficult to get the people to leave due to overcrowding. We tried to do so and to get the people to leave, but they did not listen as they started singing after the music was switched off. We then decided to switch the music on again,” he said.
Last year, a Human Rights Commission probe found that some liquor laws related to selling alcohol to minors were broken.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Lucky Ntimane of the National Liquor Traders, said the incident was a human tragedy.
“What happened more than two years ago was a great human tragedy. For us, it is important to follow the proceedings because we believe the outcome of the inquest will be able to help us develop proper approaches in dealing with the issue of underage drinking. This is something that we as a country have managed to sweep under the carpet,” he said.
The inquest continues.
The Star