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- Shocking details have emerged about the night 21 patrons died at the Enyobeni tavern.
- The tavern owners are on trial in the East London Magistrate's Court.
- Twelve girls and nine boys died at the tavern.
The owner of the Enyobeni tavern was present the night 21 patrons lost their lives and even watched as they dropped dead.
These details emerged in the East London Magistrate's Court during the trial of the tavern owners, Siyakhangela Ndevu, and his wife, Vuyokazi.
The couple stands accused of contravention of the Liquor Act for allegedly selling alcohol to underage children or coercing employees to sell to minors.
State witness Nalo Mtizana, 23, told the magistrate, Kevin von Bratt, on Wednesday that Ndevu stood in the queue for alcohol alongside her, and even flirted with her. She said they even took a selfie together.
Ndevu, who was sitting in the dock next to his wife, hung his head, covering his face with his arms.
READ | Tavern tragedy: We 'jumped off the balcony' to escape after bouncer locked door - survivors
"I was shocked to see him on TV in the morning, described as the owner of the tavern, because he was among us on the dance floor and in the queue at the bar. When people started dropping dead, he just looked at them motionlessly," Mtizana said.
Mtizana, who was one of hundreds of patrons present when the 12 girls and nine boys died at the venue, told the prosecutor, advocate Thango Pangalele, that she had pictures on her cellphone, which placed Ndlovu at the tavern at around 03:00 when the chaos broke out.
Pangalele pressed Mtizana as to whether she was sure - because Ndevu had been maintaining on public platforms that he was not at the tavern on the night, but at an initiation school.
Mtizana replied: "He was there. I have pictures with him. He was happy to see the youth buying alcohol at his tavern."
She told the court that Ndevu had even chatted up other children on the night.
Pangalele asked whether Mtizana was referring to underage minors.
READ | Enyobeni deaths: Call to raise legal drinking age to 21, says Ramaphosa as he names all 21 victim
She replied: "Yes. Underage children."
She told the court that she witnessed a group of elderly guys being turned away by bouncers, They were told that Enyobeni was a youth club, she said.
"These guys were behind us in the queue. The bouncer told them to go to the next tavern, Kwa Mnguni, which they claimed was for elderly people," said Mtizana.
She told the court she went to the tavern with her cousin, Inathi, and her friends, Thuso and Siphiwe.
She and the two friends made it out of the tavern alive. Inathi Nkani, 17, died.
Mtizana testified that, at some point before the dreadful incident happened, Inathi came back to their table and told them that she was given shots of Jägermeister by a man she later realised was Ndevu.
READ | The owners of Enyobeni just tried to open a new tavern. Scenery Park residents weren't having it
Mtizana testified that patrons dropped on the floor while music was blaring and partygoers were dancing.
She said she fled the chaos to catch a breath on the balcony. She alerted other patrons that people were dying inside, but "they laughed at me, they thought I was joking".
The lawyer for the defence, Precious Daniels, attempted to poke holes in Mtizana's evidence.
"It is in your statement that at some point you passed out on top of a speaker because you were too drunk," said Daniels.
Daniels told the court that Ndevu went to the tavern to pick up the business' takings - and that he talked to the underage patrons to try to deter them from buying alcohol.
The trial is still under way.
