On 26 June 2022, 21 people died during celebrations at the Enyobeni Tavern, a shebeen in East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

[2] The Enyobeni Tavern is a two-storey building located in Scenery Park, East London, Eastern Cape, amidst densely populated residences.

[6] The owner of the bar, Siyakhangela Ngevu, who was not present when the deaths occurred, stated that he had received calls from security at around 1:00 a.m., informing him of people attempting to force their way through a gate outside of the tavern.

[6] Seventeen victims, the youngest being 13, were found on the dance floor and in chairs, couches, and tables, but with no obvious signs of injury.

[2] After emergency services were called,[17] four people were taken to hospital, but the cause of deaths and injuries was unclear as of 26 June and an investigation had begun.

[22] The South African Police Service released a statement regarding the incident and stated that they would be deploying "maximum resources" to the investigation, and also said the public should not speculate on the cause of death.

[24] A spokesperson for the Eastern Cape's provincial community safety department went on to state that they were ruling out a stampede entirely and that the most likely cause of death was poison-related, pointing out CCTV footage showing hookah pipes at the tavern.

[25] Eastern Cape MEC for Safety Weziwe Tikana ruled out a stampede because "there were three young people who were coming to speak to us when we got to the scene, and they fainted along the way.

[27] On 29 June, news reports said the investigators suspect carbon monoxide poisoning from a petrol generator that was operating in the tavern after a power outage in the area.

While autopsies have not yet been completed, the chief medical officer at the local mortuary said the bodies showed signs of "chemical asphyxia".

"[29] On 6 July, an Eastern Cape Department of Health official said that a stampede had been ruled out but that more time would be needed to determine cause of death.

Dr. Litha Matiwane, Eastern Cape provincial deputy director for clinical service, stated authorities are still examining whether the found levels of this toxic chemical were lethal, or whether an additional factor leading to death was involved.

[32] The Eastern Cape Department of Health briefed family members on the findings of the toxicology reports, but did not provide written documentation.

Board CEO Nombuyiselo Makala stated that the owner flagrantly violated the Liquor Act by serving alcohol to minors.

[35] The owner of the club and two employees have been arrested after the ECLB opened a criminal case for allegedly selling alcohol to minors.

[36] The owner and her husband, who was the tavern’s manager, have been charged with two offences of selling or supplying liquor to minors, and conniving with or allowing their employees and agents to do so as well.

[39] On 30 June, police allowed the tavern owner and his wife access to the bar and they loaded bakkies up with alcohol from the premises.

[40][41] On the same day, the Scenery Park Methodist Church prayed outside the building, and called on law enforcement to provide answers on what caused the disaster so that the families of the victims could get some closure.

[45] The Economic Freedom Fighters party criticised the government for holding a "fake" funeral, against the wishes of the families and with empty coffins, and questioned how much the province had spent on it.

[7][8] The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) questioned whether the country learned anything from the 2000 Throb nightclub disaster in Chatsworth, in which 13 children were killed.