MyPE

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Scenery Park Carnage Questions

By

Dear Editor

TRAGIC does not begin to define the death of the more than 20 young learners who perished in
Scenery Park on Saturday evening.

HORRIFIC is hearing that it was in a tavern that operates from a community where families live and function on a day-to-day basis, knowing about the existence and target market of the establishment.

Yet, they have reportedly not taken action against this conduct to stop the looming danger, more than 20 children died.

DISASTER is when policing arms fail to take decisive action against drinking holes that sell and serve alcohol to underage individuals.

Today we hear of a SAPS Spokesperson who claims the deceased children found at a local tavern in Scenery Park, are between the ages 18 and 20, on sight at the scene.

Had the Minister of Police Bheki Cele, not given a different statement, we would still believe the children who died are of the legal age for alcohol buying and consumption.

The question we should be asking ourselves is how did the local policing area assess the ages of the deceased, before speaking to the individual families?

What does the local precinct, presiding over the Scenery Park community know about the Enyobeni tavern operations and suspect to be trying to cover-up, by giving incorrect ages to children who had not been identified by their families at the point of their responses to the media.

Children who are purported to have been gathered in a birthday celebration hosted at Enyobeni tavern, are now laying cold in a state mortuary, they are said to have no visible injuries, poisoning is suspected – the bigger question should be posed to the society that now calls for the tavern to be shut down.

AZAPO EC has learned with great shock and disdain through media reports, that the tavern has been selling alcohol to minor kids for a while and the community of Scenery Park was aware of this conduct.

None of the community members are known to have openly condemned this, until tragedy struck.
Foreign tendencies of Moral Decay have fully entrenched itself in our homes, communities, schools, spread their wings to our minds.

In AZANIA, a child does not belong to the parents who gave life to it; a child belongs to society and the responsibility to parent caution and protect is that of the entire community.

Moral Degeneration tells us differently, it says children only belong to their own parents and families. It says any child not belonging to me is fair game to destruction.

It is in moments like these that we need to take to self-introspection of our own contributions to the tragedies that engulf our communities, largely our country.

AZAPO EC condemns the collective actions that have led to this carnage.

More than 20 families have lost their young children because all the individuals that should have been guarding against this potential tragedy turned a blind eye and shut their eyes when it mattered most.

All the systems that should monitor wrongdoing neglected their responsibilities, these include self- discipline, parenting, community monitoring, policing and all others related.

AZAPO EC calls for immediate action against all parties involved, including SAPS which issued a statement that is clearly concealing the glaring truth by altering the ages of the deceased.

AZAPO EC calls for immediate action and arrest of the owner(s) of the tavern where the incident took place including other tavern owners who sell and serve alcohol to underage individuals.

We also call for action against the relevant departments of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality responsible for enforcing by-laws in shebeen and tavern monitoring.

Community Based Organizations working in the fields of substance and drug abuse should enhance their interventions in Scenery Park Community and all communities across AZANIA.

When we don’t take care of our communities, criminal elements see us as low hanging fruits.

Regards

Masikane Mapena
AZAPO EASTERN CAPE Provincial Secretary

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.