President Cyril Ramaphosa has denounced alcohol businesses that prioritize profits over the wellbeing of the nation’s youth.
President Ramaphosa said during his eulogy at the mass funeral service in East London for the teenagers, whose lives were cut short in the early-morning hours of Sunday, June 26, 2022, during the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy in Scenery Park, that the government has a strong message to send to all establishments breaking the law and causing tragedies like those seen at Enyobeni Tavern.
The President informed the grieving assembled at Scenery Park Sports Field that the exact cause of these unfortunate deaths is still unknown.
“Those who exploit the hopes and lives of South African youth by breaching the law and providing them with alcohol must be held accountable. Any liquor store that offers alcohol to minors must be permanently shut down.
“We have seen social media images and videos of young men and women in the Enyobeni Tavern on the evening of June 26, 2022.
It was inappropriate for kids to be allowed in an adult-only area. The President declared that alcohol shouldn’t have been offered to them.
The President urged residents to participate in their neighborhood community policing forums and to assist law enforcement by reporting legal breaches.
The President emphasized, “If you are breaking the law, you will be shut down.”
He further urged the residents of Scenery Park and all other communities dealing with social evils to work to rid their neighborhoods of crime in general as well as businesses supplying alcohol to minors illegally.
“What happened in Scenery Park on June 26, 2022, was illegal. As a nation, it is our duty to make sure that a tragedy like this never occurs again. “What was being place was unlawful,” he declared.
According to the President, there are alcohol businesses throughout East London and the entire nation that prioritize profits over the wellbeing of young people.
Teenage drinking is a terrible problem.
The country is losing a young generation to the plague of underage drinking, President Ramaphosa lamented.
“We must stop letting alcohol threaten the destiny of our nation.
Alcoholism is a serious addiction. It should only be drunk by people who are mature enough to handle its effects, of legal drinking age, and who are acting responsibly and in moderation, he said.
The President claimed that alcohol misuse contributes to a number of social issues, including sex crimes, homicides, gender-based violence, and traffic fatalities.
Young people are “too young to appreciate the delicate line between having a good time, and being addicted,” he claimed, because their bodies and brains are still developing and evolving.
“Young individuals who misuse alcohol miss school. They experience learning gaps. They engage in conflict and run into problems.
They are easily sad and have suicidal thoughts.
“Like I mentioned, we still don’t know for sure what murdered our kids. However, we are aware that the law was broken that night and presumably on many prior occasions.
Alcohol that had been sold to young people under the age of 18 was frequently consumed by them. The President stated that the youngest victim of this tragedy was only 13 years old.
The President emphasized once more that it is against the law to sell or offer alcohol to anyone who is under the age of 18.
Owners of places where alcohol may be sold must ensure that anyone to whom they sell alcohol is at least 18 years old, according to him, by requesting identification.