The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) condemns the perpetual kidnapping and deaths of initiates reported in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng (particularly in Orange Farms) as reported by the Sowetan newspaper dated 1 July 2011. The paper reported that 10 initiates were rescued from an illegal initiate school.
Consistent with the recommendations of the Initiation Report issued by the Commission to stakeholders, the practitioners of this cultural practice must be accredited and no initiate should be coerced to enlist in these school as that is background that the Commission urges authorities to legally act harshly against perpetrators of human rights abuses in the name of this sacred cultural and traditional rite of passage to manhood.
The Commission would like to appeal to the Community Councils and Traditional Leaders to assist in exposing these illegal initiation schools. We would also like to encourage the Gauteng Provincial Government to speedily implement the recommendation of our report.
Enquiries:
Botle Letsebe
Tel: 011 537 7625
Cell: 079 238 1485
