Each coffin has a photo of one of the victims in a 3,000-seater marquee in East London, a city in Eastern Cape Province. Two of the teenagers have already been laid to rest.

Wearing a black outfit with her hands on her head, one of the relatives wailed “Oh umtanam umkile nyani” (Oh my child is really gone) as the service got under way.

Pupils, some in school uniform and others wearing T-shirts bearing the faces of the victims, are also here to remember their friends.

Addressing the mourners, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane expressed how South Africa had been left saddened.

“Please understand that as the nation we are hurt by what has happened, the families of these children had hoped that one day they would be successful and that these children would one day give their families a better life,” he said.

Relatives have been taking turns to read obituaries, sharing nicknames and other endearing memories.

One has said: “We were hoodwinked by your death, we had high hopes for your bright future and that you’d pull your family out of poverty but you have now perished.”

One of the relatives looked at President Ramaphosa and said: “Mr President, we are tired, the black nation is fast perishing right before our eyes.”

The fact that the cause of the deaths is yet to be determined has left families angry and frustrated.

Investigators took four days to gather forensic evidence inside Enyobeni Tavern.

The BBC understands they viewed more than eight hours of CCTV footage to fully understand what transpired when hundreds of people, mostly teenagers, attended what students call a “pens down” celebration.

No arrests have been made. The tavern has been temporarily shut down and the liquor trading licence for the owners has been suspended.

But Police Minister Bheki Cele assured those gathered that action would be taken.

“I want this funeral service to be a peaceful day but that doesn’t mean that a war is not coming,” he said.