Strict health oversight and compliance from 320 traditional schools ensured thousands of Bushbuckridge youth completed their cultural rites without incident.

The Lowveld region’s pass-out celebration was held on Saturday, August 8.

More than 30 000 people descended on Bushbuckridge to celebrate the closing of the initiation (Dikoma/Ingoma). Food and liquor outlets, small businesses and local Mrupelo artists benefited from the influx of customers.

School owners praise safety record

The owner of one of the schools, Athias Matsane, said he was pleased to have sent all the initiates home without incident, and thanked parents for trusting him with their children.

“I believe I have produced strong and responsible young men and women,” he said. “I must also indicate that, in Bushbuckridge, we always practise safe Dikoma, and we have proved that again this year.”

“The fact that we were incident-free at all the schools and during the celebration itself, which brought thousands of people from outside the region with no road accidents or deaths, shows people behaved to their level best to stay safe,” said another school owner, Jealous Shakwane.

The chairperson of the Mpumalanga House of Traditional Leaders and national president of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, Kgoshi Mathupa Mokoena, confirmed that Bushbuckridge hosted an incident-free Dikoma. He said all 320 schools in the area sent their initiates home to their families alive and healthy.

“For many years, the area has been known for hosting incident-free initiation, because all school owners follow instructions on how to run them, and we immediately close careless schools,” said Mokoena. “We work with traditional healers, who understand Ingoma, and medical doctors to ensure that when initiates are sick they can quickly get help.”

He said all owners are made aware that initiates’ well-being is their responsibility and thanked them for their compliance with safety guidelines. He also thanked all the supporters and visitors who boosted the local economy.

Tragedy strikes Masoyi school

In the Masoyi area, four initiates died after a fire broke out at the school they were attending a week before they were scheduled to return home.

Mokoena sends condolences to the families

“We are very hurt about the incident, which has tarnished the name of the Lowveld area. We are working with the police, as we want them to investigate the matter and make sure whoever is responsible is brought to book,” Mokoena said. “The caregivers of the initiates must also account for where they were when the incident happened, because it is their responsibility to look after them.”

Mpumalanga police said the fire broke out at an initiation school in Numbi on Wednesday, August 5. Attempts to extinguish it proved unsuccessful.

Five boys were rushed to Themba Hospital outside White River, where four later succumbed to their injuries.

They will be buried in Masoyi, and their families have requested privacy while they mourn.