By Anita Dangazele
Underage drinking once again took centre stage in East London at the weekend after hundreds of minors went on a drinking spree at the city’s beachfront.
East London is notorious for the Enyobeni tavern tragedy in June 2022 that claimed the lives of 21 young people, including children as young as 13.
Despite a warning to parents by the Eastern Cape Liquor Board to keep an eye on their children after it received a tip-off that learners were organising parties for the Easter weekend, hundreds of drunk underage drinkers took to the streets of the beachside suburb of Quigney.
A 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death, another was hit by a car and 12-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped.
Fifteen teenagers were reportedly rushed to hospital for suspected alcohol poisoning on Saturday night. The young people threw bottles at ambulances and police vans when they tried to intervene.
Provincial health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said: “Our ambulances were pelted with bottles and the manager on duty had to withdraw them. A private ambulance was also attacked.”
Kupelo said Frere Hospital attended to numerous young people with alcohol poisoning.
Police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu confirmed the Saturday night chaos. “There were incidents of extremely intoxicated teenagers on the beachfront,” she said.
“Police and paramedics were called to attend to them. Some teenagers were taken to hospital for excessive consumption of alcohol and police dispersed the teenagers.”
Naidu advised parents to prevent their children from attending these parties in future, as they lose control when they indulge in excessive drinking, exposing themselves and the people around them to danger.
“Police monitor these events and close down such gatherings, much to the disappointment of the angry teenagers,” Naidu said.
Police are also investigating the murder of the 16-year-old who had earlier partied at the beachfront with his friends before moving to the CBD, where he was stabbed to death.
“The deceased was with his friends near KFC drinking liquor when four unknown men appeared with knives and tried to rob them of their liquor and cellphones,” she said.
“They ran away but, unfortunately, the deceased was caught and stabbed to death by one of the men.”
Eastern Cape Liquor Board CEO Dr Nombuyiselo Makala said: “This clearly illustrates that they blatantly ignored our messages and elected to indulge in alcohol.”
Pictured above: Screenshot of the above video.
Image source: Supplied
