Enyobeni commemoration invites reflection on the true cost of alcohol

The anniversary of the Enyobeni tragedy provides an opportunity for South Africans to reflect on their relationship with alcohol. 

Not one of the 21 youngsters who lost their lives at the Enyobeni Tavern in East London on 26 June 2022 would live to see their 21^st birthdays. Twenty-one lives were cut short in the months South Africans celebrate the youth for their contribution to democracy. 

Seventeen of them were underage, which made those serving them the alcohol that contributed to their untimely deaths criminally liable. Four years later and still no one has been held accountable for this tragedy. 

“Access to cheap alcohol indirectly played a part in these deaths that were 100% preventable,” says Nomcebo Dlamini of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance South Africa (SAAPA SA), adding that had various laws been enforced, chief among them those prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors, the tragedy would not have happened. 

“Although the official cause of deaths is suffocation, high levels of methanol, commonly found in homemade or illegal liquor, were found in the victims’ blood. Alcohol use is glamourised in advertising and government’s annual increase in excise tax at inflation hardly makes a dent in consumption as most alcohol products remain affordable to the youth and people in vulnerable communities,” states Dlamini. 

Beer is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in South Africa. Thus Treasury’s proposal to introduce differentiated beer tax bands based on alcohol strength is a major step forward as it starts to align fiscal policy with public health outcomes. 

“Government should however consider tightening the proposed beer bands. The current proposal groups beverages with between 2.5% and 9% alcohol content into a single category. This is too broad. 

“A narrower upper threshold, closer to 6%, would create stronger incentives for manufacturers to reformulate products toward lower alcohol content, while discouraging high-strength beer consumption patterns that contribute significantly to binge drinking,” she explains. 

Alcohol taxation is recognised as one of the World Health Organisation’s “Best Buys” for reducing alcohol-related harm. The WHO SAFER initiative specifically identifies raising prices through excise taxes as one of the most effective interventions available to governments. 

Higher alcohol taxes cannot bring back the 21 lives lost so tragically on 26 June 2022, but, together with enforcement of existing laws, it could prevent something like this from ever happening again. 

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Media queries: Lesego Makgatho | 082 762 4946 | lesego@tishalacommunications.com  

About SAAPA SA 

The South African Alcohol Policy Alliance South Africa is a civil society 

coalition advocating for evidence-based alcohol policies that reduce harm, protect 

vulnerable populations and promote healthier communities across South Africa. 

For more information, visit: https://truecostofalcohol.africa.