East London - The terrible conditions of the now infamous Enyobeni Tavern at Scenery Park, East London, continue to disgust authorities seeing its condition, with the latest disgust expressed by MPs who said the place looks like a “pig’s den”.
On Tuesday afternoon, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities was led by its chairperson, Nonhlanhla Ndaba, to the tavern where 21 children died recently.
The MPs were left shocked by the conditions inside the tavern.
The MPs were unable to access the venue after they found it locked with a big padlock and no one was on site to grant them access.
However, the MPs were able to peep through a small hole in the red iron door of the tavern and had a glimpse of the first floor, where broken bottles of alcohol and broken wooden tables and chairs could be seen.
One MP, believed to be from the EFF as she was in red overalls, was overheard exclaiming that the place resembled “the devil’s place” and “a pig’s den”.
“Yo! Yikwa Sathane apha ... Kuse zihhagwini apha ... kuse zihhagwini – Oh my God! This is the devil’s place ... it’s a pig’s den,“ she said in deep Xhosa.
WATCH: The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities led by its chairperson Nonhlanhla Ndaba has just visited Enyobeni Tavern in East London where 21 children tragically passed away recently and were left disgusted by the conditions inside. @IOL pic.twitter.com/TmA3cKijNS
Ndaba exclaimed that it appeared the place had only one exit point, which posed a risk in case of an emergency.
“I am not even sure about ventilation, whether there is ventilation or what,” she said, adding that they had heard that the owner, who has since been criminally charged for the incident, visited the tavern in the morning and later left.
Another MP kept exclaiming how dirty the place was.
“Kumdaka apha – the place is filthy,” she said repeatedly, while another exclaimed that the tavern looked crammed to accommodate people.
Before leaving for another public engagement with leaders of the local municipality, Buffalo City, the police, the NPA and the Eastern Cape Liquor Board, Ndaba said they would make sure people were held accountable for this disaster.
“People must be held accountable for what they are doing, we are going to do our work,” she said.
The mass funeral for the victims, who are mainly pupils from local schools, will be held at Scenery Park Sports Field on Wednesday and President Cyril Ramaphosa will attend it.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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