EAST LONDON (KuGompo City), EASTERN CAPE — As the country observes the fourth anniversary of the Enyobeni tavern tragedy, advocates are renewing urgent calls to address South Africa’s alcohol crisis, emphasizing that the systemic failures that led to the deaths of 21 children remain unresolved.
On June 26, 2022, the nation was shaken when 21 underage children—the youngest being just 13 years old—lost their lives during an end-of-exams “pens down” celebration at a tavern in Scenery Park, East London. While the legal system has focused on the criminal accountability of the establishment’s owners, civil society and human rights organizations argue that the nation’s harmful relationship with alcohol requires much broader, systemic intervention.
Nomcebo Dlamini of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) notes that the anniversary is a deeply distressing time for the grieving families, especially given the lack of meaningful legislative or societal progress over the past four years. She contrasted the shock of the 2022 tragedy with the morning’s news of a Bafana Bafana victory, underscoring how quickly the nation’s attention shifts away from the ongoing alcohol epidemic once the initial news cycle passes.
Cultural Normalization and Deflected Responsibility
During the legal proceedings, the tavern owner controversially argued that the children’s parents should face criminal negligence charges. Addressing this, Dlamini acknowledged the role of parental supervision but criticized the attempt by an establishment owner to deflect responsibility for blatantly illegal activities.
She pointed out a deeper cultural issue: South African society frequently normalizes alcohol consumption by integrating it into cultural, traditional, and religious events. “Children don’t do as we say, they do as they see,” Dlamini noted, warning that adults are inadvertently teaching youth that excessive drinking is an acceptable part of daily life.
Advertising and Legislative Gridlock
The conversation also highlighted how alcohol advertising glamorizes drinking and explicitly targets youth culture. Despite widespread acknowledgment of this harm, legislative reform remains politically resistant. Dlamini pointed out that a comprehensive draft Liquor Amendment Bill—which addressed the proximity of taverns to schools and places of worship, as well as trading hours and access—has been stalled for a decade. Furthermore, a recent private member’s bill introduced in parliament last September has also stalled.
According to Dlamini, the National Liquor Amendment (NLA) process is being blocked by an alcohol industry that prioritizes profit over public health, while civil society is largely excluded from the proceedings. She stressed that public health must take precedence, especially when dealing with a product that acts as a drug but is often treated as a standard commodity.
The cost of this inaction extends far beyond youth safety. Dlamini referenced recent statistics released by the acting minister of finance, which highlighted alcohol as a primary enabler of gender-based violence and other severe societal ills.
Fiscal Policy and the Fight for Tax Reform
To combat these issues, the National Treasury is attempting to utilize fiscal policy by introducing tax tiers aimed at increasing the price of high-alcohol beverages. The goal is to incentivize the industry to produce lower-alcohol options, pushing products down from the current 4.5% to 6% alcohol-by-volume range to below 3%. However, the industry continues to push back against these measures.
Dlamini stressed that for excise tax to be an effective, evidence-based intervention—as endorsed by the World Health Organization—increases must be applied above inflation. Currently, a 750ml beer can be purchased for as little as R20 to R25, an amount easily affordable to schoolchildren with pocket money. This flood of cheap alcohol is devastating vulnerable and rural communities, where traditional leaders are desperately calling for intervention.
As young people continue to ask what it will take for the country to recognize the severity of the problem, advocates maintain that genuine political will is required to implement these reforms, reduce consumption, and ensure that a tragedy like Enyobeni is never repeated.
