Kamogelo Olaitan
The owner of Enyobeni tavern and his two employees have been arrested and charged for selling alcohol to underage children.
The three were arrested on Saturday and Tuesday respectively.
The arrest comes after Eastern Cape Liquor Board laid charges for contravention of the Liquor Act for selling alcohol to children under the age of 18 years.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana said the 52-year-old owner will appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court on 19 August in connection with the charges.
Two employees aged 33 and 34 have been given an option to pay a fine of R2,000 in terms of the act. Should they fail to pay, they will be required to appear in court with the tavern owner.
Kinana said that the forensic investigation into the cause of death of the 21 children is still ongoing.
“At an appropriate time and at the conclusion of the investigation the results will be made available to the families. There are no new developments at this stage,” Kinana said.
Eastern Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene appealed for patience from families and communities.
“The investigation is a process and needs to be undertaken with extreme care so that we can achieve the desired outcomes. This is the beginning of the work we are doing behind the scenes,” Mene said.
