3 boys rescued as suspected illegal Standerton initiation school shut down

A suspected illegal initiation school operating on a farm outside Rooikoppen was shut down during a joint law enforcement operation last week Tuesday (June 23).

According to the Ridge Times, the operation was launched after a farmer spotted suspicious activity and blew the whistle. It was later established that the school was operating illegally just outside the Rooikoppen residential and farming settlement in Standerton, Mpumalanga.

The school was allegedly run by a man from the Shivovo section of Sakhile. He is accused of forcibly taking children to the school and demanding money from their parents.

Three boys were located during the raid but they fled into a nearby river. One of the boys had allegedly been assaulted at the school before the raid while trying to escape his captor.

Team Ngenelela has since encouraged the boy’s parents to open a criminal case of assault.

Team Ngenelela representative Pheello Mlotshwa said the organisation also received a call from parents in eMbalenhle who claimed their children were being held at the Rooikoppen school. However, investigations revealed that none of the children at the camp was from eMbalenhle.

“One of the boys told us they had spent five days without eating anything. That is shocking,” said Mlotshwa.

Local police spokesperson Sergeant Themba Mnisi confirmed that police arrested two suspects who have been charged with kidnapping and assault.

Mnisi said that because the incident involves minors, the case has been referred to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for further investigation.

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