South African President Cyril Ramafosa paid tribute on Wednesday at the funeral of 21 teenagers who died in a bar last month in a mysterious situation.
Investigators said teens were more likely to have been poisoned by what they ingested, but some reports showed that gas leaks could be the cause. ..
A colorful bouquet adorned the coffin for the 19 victims. According to Reuters, police were still investigating the cause of the death, so everything was empty.
Reuters reported that the other two victims had already been buried in the family.
More than a week ago, a bar in East London was found lying on a chair or table, and another young man died on the dance floor.
On Wednesday of the funeral, a huge tent was built in the Scenery Park Sports Field. Relatives and friends paid homage.
"He loved sports. According to one victim, he played soccer at school." He died suddenly on June 26, 2022. He is a family member and a friend. , And will be deeply missed by everyone who knows him. "
In his compliment, Ramafosa, in his compliment, the cause of his death is still unknown, but the tragedy spotlights underage drinking and alcohol abuse. Said that.
"Today we shed bitter tears on the 21 young lives we lost. We must make sure they have justice. At midnight the children I don't want more parents to call me about my death, or I'm asked to come to identify a child who died due to alcohol abuse. I don't want to experience the pain anymore. "
He said the legal drinking age needs to be raised from 18 to 21 since the tragedy. He said he thought there should be a national debate about it.
He also called on alcohol marketers not to target young people.
"Many years ago, when the government embarked on a program to reduce the harm caused by tobacco tobacco, the government was severely criticized and faced great resistance," Ramafosa said. rice field. -Smoking laws exist and they are adhered to by the majority of our people. A similar approach is needed that is consistent with the necessary interventions to reduce the harm of alcohol abuse among our young people.
The president also appealed to the mayor to set up a committee to investigate material abuse in all municipalities of the country.
He also called for better implementation of national law.
"We mourn with you and walk this way with you. You can be confident that we will act as a government after this tragedy."
Stampede was excluded as a cause of death, but nothing was said about how long it would take to investigate the cause of death.
