The Lowveld has once again celebrated a safe and successful Ingoma initiation season, with no fatalities or injuries reported. More than 300 boys and girls who attended initiation schools across the region have returned home and are back at school.

Bushbuckridge recorded the highest number of initiates, reaffirming its status as a leader in traditional initiation practices.

Kgoshi Mathupa Mokoena, provincial chairperson of the House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, praised initiation school owners for prioritising safety.
“We are aware that in other areas of the province lives were lost, which is unfortunate. As traditional leaders, our mandate is to ensure every initiate returns home alive,” he said.

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Mokoena commended the Lowveld’s Ingoma for its consistent record.

“We are known nationwide as the best in the business. For the past 20 years, we have not had a single fatality. The secret is simple – we follow all health protocols, provide nutritious food, and forbid abuse, weapons and alcohol.”

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He urged communities to celebrate responsibly, avoiding drinking and driving or fighting, and noted that law enforcement was on high alert. He also thanked parents for their trust.
“We spend months with these young people in the mountains, teaching them to be men who respect women, with a particular focus on combating gender-based violence and femicide.”

This year’s initiation season also provided a welcome boost to the region’s economy, with more than 20 000 visitors from other provinces travelling to the Lowveld to celebrate the Ingoma.