The "pens down" culture continues to plague Eastern Cape communities.
What should have served as a lesson, has given rise to a trend where pupils host parties to celebrate the end of the school term where alcohol is either sold or served.
26 June marks the anniversary of the infamous Enyobeni tragedy where 21 teenagers lost their lives after a night of heavy drinking. The event sent shock waves around the country, with the scourge of underage drinking and the selling and supplying of alcohol to minors taking centre stage.
Just two days before the anniversary of the tragedy, five school children had to be rushed to hospital during a pens down event in the suburb of Quigney in East London.
The Eastern Cape Liquor Board said it had hoped that the Enyobeni tragedy would serve as a deterrent against underage drinking.
"To our astonishment, Enyobeni was never a lesson enough to restrain our young people from continuing to indulge in alcohol," board CEO Dr Nombuyiselo Makala said.
"Shortly after the Enyobeni incident we started receiving reports of more pens down parties being planned in some parts of the province, including the Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay metros."
Social media was abuzz last week with poster invitations to different pens down events hosted by high school learners in taverns across the Eastern Cape.
Tavern owners continue to admit minors and serve alcohol to them despite the laws prohibiting this.
National Liquor Traders convenor, Lucky Ntimane said consumers need to be protected from traders who have little to no regard for the law.
"We call for a two-pronged strategy that addresses non-compliance in the formal liquor trade, while also dealing decisively with the illicit trade. Only such an approach will ensure that consumers are protected from unscrupulous elements who disregard the law and safe product standards," Ntimane said.
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A year after the tragic passing of their children, families of the victims still do not know exactly what killed their children.
Dissatisfied parents said they had not received any written report, instead, they were called to a meeting two months after the tragedy -- where officials cited suffocation as the cause of death.
This was despite a public announcement by the provincial health department that methanol, a toxic alcohol found in industrial solvents, fuels, fertilisers and many other products, was found in the blood of all 21 children.
No criminal case has been opened against anyone in relation to the deaths of the children.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has denied claims that the Enyobeni tavern owners would not be criminally charged for the death of the children.
"Since the police investigations have not yet yielded evidence pointing to criminal culpability against anyone, the state is still pursuing other avenues towards ensuring that justice is done," said NPA regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
"Should the inquest result in a decision for anyone to be prosecuted, the state will prosecute."
Enyobeni tavern manager Siyakhangela Ndevu and owner Vuyokazi Ndevu are back in court in August facing charges of selling or supplying liquor to minors and for permitting employees to serve alcohol to people under the age of 18.
