The tragedy occurred on the evening of Sunday, 25 December at the Razzmatazz Tavern in the small Karoo town of Hofmeyr in the Chris Hani District. Eastern Cape police are investigating the deaths of Menzi Inathi, 17, Qhashani Cwegna, 15, and 25-year-old Mahlantsi Sinoxolo.

News24 reported that police were probing claims that a mysterious substance was sprayed in a tavern in Hofmeyr, allegedly leading to the deaths of the two girls and a young woman on Christmas Day.

The Liquor Board has closed down the tavern pending further investigations.

Eastern Cape police spokesperson, Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana, said police do not want to speculate on the cause of the tavern patrons’ deaths, but said this would be investigated.

Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana. (Photo: Twitter)

“The suspect has not been identified and therefore is not known at this stage. However, the investigation is continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident,” said Kinana.

Mlungisi Mvoko, MEC for Economic Development in the Eastern Cape, expressed his concern about the deaths of the young people and emphasised that it was important for the government, police and communities to work together to combat underage drinking and the sale of liquor to minors.

Mgwebi Msiya, spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Liquor Board, told Daily Maverick on Wednesday that the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy should have served as a valuable lesson to liquor traders, preventing a repetition of that incident.

On 26 June last year, 21 youngsters, one just 13 years old, died in Enyobeni Tavern in East London. They were at a party celebrating the start of the winter holidays.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “ ‘People walked on us after we fainted’: Survivors share their trauma after East London ‘tavern of death’ horror”

The families fear they will never know what killed their children.

Methanol poisoning investigated as a possible cause of tavern deaths

Commenting on the latest tragedy, Msiya said: “We are very disappointed that in a very short space of time we have a very similar kind of incident in Hofmeyr. So we are completely disillusioned by this incident… We want to send a very clear warning to other liquor traders.

“We will be very harsh with anyone who continues to flout their liquor conditions or allows young people in their establishment.”

Msiya said the Liquor Board was concerned about the growing number of young people in the Eastern Cape who experiment with alcohol.

He said research showed that underage drinking is on the rise, particularly in the Eastern Cape.

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A 2016 report by the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research found that many Eastern Cape women started drinking alcohol from as young as 10 years old and, at the time, the area had the highest reported rate of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in the world. 

Thirteen percent of Grade 1 learners in the Nelson Mandela Bay areas of Bethelsdorp and Helenvale were diagnosed with FASD, according to the report.

Police have asked anyone with information about the Christmas Day incident to contact Hofmeyer police station or call 08600 1011.

The manager of the Razzmatazz Tavern and his assistant are due to appear in court on 10 January. DM