The parents of 21 young people who died at an East London tavern called Enyobeni in June have accused the government of treating them like fools after contradictory statements were made last week.
Parents say they heard on the radio, when the Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, said toxicology results with regards to the cause of death for the 21 are out.
But a day later the police sent officers to the homes of the affected families to say they know nothing about the statement that Mabuyane made on the radio.
One of the parents who had lost a child, Khululekile Ncandana said: “We were all shocked about what Mabuyane said because no one said anything to us. The next thing the police came and said what was said over the radio is not true they have not received any results. Most parents were so angry, some of those policemen were chased away by the parents. The police that were sent to us were junior people who couldn’t answer questions, except saying they were sent by their superiors to come and do damage control from what the Premier [Mabuyane] said.”
Parents say the government also promised them psycho-social support but to this day none of the families have received that kind of support. “Some of the parents have had a breakdown,” said Ncandana.
Parents have also expressed their anger that the Enyobeni Tavern owner is carrying on with his life like nothing happened.
Ntombizonke Mgangala, who lost her daughter Sinothando Mgangala, said the families feel like secondary victims as the government is victimising them.
Mgangala said she was shocked when she heard Mabuyane speaking about the results over the radio and had to leave work early. “We are worried as parents because it seems the government officials don’t know how sensitive this is and how personally this is to us to just hear it over the radio,” said Mgangala.
Parents said whilst they previously accepted when the government said results will be given to each family privately they are now opposed to that and want results to be given in a joint forum as they have one another for comfort.
However, Mabuyane’s spokesperson Khuselwa Rantjie said he only indicated that the Eastern Cape Department of Health received toxicology results and its team of forensic pathologists are busy collating the results with the autopsy findings.
Rantjie said the results will be released when that process is completed.
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