The proprietor of the South African pub where 21 young people mysteriously perished made his first court appearance on Friday. Enyobeni tavern owner Siyakhangela Ngevu and his two employees were arrested on July 12th.
Siyakhangela Ngevu is accused of supplying alcohol to minors in violation of South Africa’s liquor act. At the Enyobeni Tavern in the Eastern Cape last month, a group of mostly youths perished. They may have been celebrating the end of their examinations; the youngest was only 13 years old.
At this initial court appearance, Mr. Ngevu did not enter a plea; consequently, the case has been continued till the 2nd of September.
More than 20 underage people collapsed on that fateful night in June before help came in the early hours of the morning. Siyakhangela Ngevu has previously claimed he wasn’t on the premise on that fateful night.
Alcohol and carbon monoxide have been ruled out as causes of death, but the incident has sparked concerns about underage drinking in South Africa, a nation with high binge drinking rates.
