The Limpopo initiation schools are scheduled to commence on the 14th of June 2013 and end on the 13th of July 2013. Unfortunately, before the season could even start officially, the province has been in the news for allegedly running initiation schools where it has been reported that six initiates lost their lives, specifically in Sekhukhune district.
The areas in which these illegal schools were started share a border with Mpumalanga province. Some initiation schools have started on the 4th May 2013 long before the official date of commencement. It is in these illegal initiation schools where death of initiates occurred. We would like to express our heartfelt and deepest condolences to the affected families. May the soul of the initiates rest in peace!
Upon receiving the reports of these illegal schools, the department assembled and dispatched an Assessment Task Team to the areas concerned to investigate this matter. This took place on the 20th of May 2013. The team discovered that there are indeed illegal initiation schools under Kgoshi PJ Mahlangu of Limpopo and King Maboko of Mpumalanga.
It is regrettable to note that like in 2012, even in 2013, Kgoshi P J Mahlangu has conducted illegal initiation schools worse after being adviced repeatedly to desist from doing so by Government. It was found that Kgoshi PJ Mahlangu had 135 regiments with a total number of 1005 initiates and King Maboko with 19 regiments accounting to 305 initiates. It was also discovered that Mr Petrus Van Rooyen also known as Mr Makua has one initiation school with 16 initiates.
These findings prompted the department to report the matter to Station Commanders of respective Police Stations in the areas, with the purpose of opening criminal cases and/or closing down the illegal schools. We expect the law to take its course and those who are responsible must face the full might of the law. Government will not be a party to Cultural Practices that kill innocent people.
It is in the light of these unfortunate occurrences occassined by people who are hell-bent on spoiling the hard work put into the 2013 initiation season that we are fresh from a meeting with strategic stakeholders in this very locality. These are stakeholders who must ensure incident free 2013 initiation season. In attendance were Senior Traditional Leaders, who are sole permit holders, Traditional Surgeons and personnel from the Department of Health who will be monitoring initiates jointly with CoGHSTA officials from day one to the last day.
We also had the Provincial Commissioner of the police to ensure that all arms of Government speak and act in unison. The purpose of the meeting was to brief and prepare all these stakeholders on precautionary measures to be followed in order to have incident free initiation season.
I take this opportunity to report that, the department has for this season approved 142 applications, of which 107 are for boys and 35 for girls. The breakdown as per district is as follows: Vhembe were issued with 31 permits, Waterberg 21 permits, Mopani 20 permits, Capricorn 07 permits, Sekhukhune 63 permits.
We are making a clarion call to all permit holders to adhere to all the initiation school prescripts. We also call upon parents to verify the legitimacy of initiation schools they intend to send their children to with their respective Traditional Authorities. To people who want to take chances of running initiations schools without permits, we say be prepared to incur the full might of the law. There will be zero tolerance to law breakers and they will be brought to book.
Let this ancient practice achieve the cultural objectives it was meant to without anyone giving it a bad name. If you want to do business, please look somewhere else. This is not a venture to make money. Attending an initiation school should continue to be a respected tradition among our communities. Deaths of young people who are destined to be future leaders is deplorable, worse when it happens in hands of people who are custodians of this ancient institution.
Let me conclude by emphasizing the following:
- No person shall hold an initiation school without a valid permit issued to him/her in terms of Section 2 (1) of the Northern Province Circumcision Schools Act No. 6 of 1996.
- No traditional surgeon or any other person is allowed to perform rituals in an initiation school without a certificate of fitness issued for that purpose by a registered medical practitioner authorized by the Premier or authorized officer to do so in terms of Section 3 (1) of Initiation Schools Regulations of 2003.
- No traditional nurse or any other person is allowed to look after initiates in an initiation school without a certificate of attendance of training referred to in regulation 5, provided that the prohibition shall become effective on the day immediately after the conclusion of the training concerned in terms on Section 4(1) of Initiation Schools Regulations of 2003.
- No person below the age of twelve can be admitted to an initiation school in terms of Section 7(1) of Initiation Schools Regulations of 2003.
- No initiate shall be admitted to an initiation school more than five days after the commencement of the school in terms of Section 7(3) of Initiation Schools Regulations of 2003.
- No person is allowed to abduct another for the purpose of taking the abducted person to an initiation school in terms of Section 9(1) of Initiation Schools Regulations of 2003.
I thank you!
For more information contact:
Hosi Eric Chauke
Chairperson of the Working Committee on Initiation Schools
Cell: 082 678 7573
Tseng Diale
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 083 652 5276
