The winter initiation practice has drawn to an end and has in the process claimed the life of a 42-year-old man while 138 initiates were rescued and removed from illegal schools in Tshwane.

The Gauteng winter initiation school season started on June 23, 2023 and ended on July 17, 2023.

The season coincided with the death of a 42-year-old man, however the Gauteng Emergency Services confirmed to Rekord that on July 12, numerous children were sent to various emergency treatment facilities for care.

Numerous children receive medical treatment

Gauteng EMS spokesperson Annikie Lelaka said the EMS responded to a call in Atteridgeville, Mshongoville following a call for help as a result of the circumcision culture.

She said the ems transported 132 patients to different health facilities for medical checkups.

48 – Tshwane district hospital

56 – PTA west hospital

18 – Laudium CHC

10 – Phomolong PHC

“Some families collected their children at Atteridgeville SAPS.

Gauteng Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (PICC) Spokesperson Kiba Kekana said the death of the man was under investigation by the police.

Kekana further said the 138 initiates were rescued at an initiation school after the committee received reports of the illegal initiation schools operations.

According to Kekana from the 138 rescued initiates, 119 were dwellers at an Atteridgeville Informal Settlement.

“The death of the 42-year-old man took place at the illegally operated initiation school in Atteridgeville informal settlement.”

He said the other nine initiates were rescued from illegal schools in Ekurhuleni.

Gauteng Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee during its monitoring process

“Legislature dictates that the PICC must monitor and evaluate the general functioning of initiation schools during the initiation school period.

“It was during this monitoring process that two fatalities were reported. One fatality involved a 42-year-old man that died during an initiation at an illegal initiation school in Tshwane while a second initiate, a 21-year-old young man, died at a registered school in Ratanda.

“Both cases are still under investigation by the SAPS and 2 suspects have since been arrested.”

He said nine illegal initiation schools were subsequently closed.

Challenges experienced by monitoring teams

The common challenges experienced by the monitoring teams during the winter period was the following:

-The abduction and abuse of initiates,

-The death of initiates at unregistered schools, while 

-Parents withdrew cases because of threats from abductors or principals.

He said other issues related to principals of unregistered initiation schools allowing criminal activities including assault, abuse and the distribution of drugs and alcohol to minors.

PICC calls better planning and consequences for the summer initiation season

“With the summer initiation season now in planning phase, the committee calls on the relevant departments, law enforcement agencies and traditional leaders to increase both preventative and consequence management efforts to end the unnecessary and preventative carnage of our initiates.

“The death of two initiates, are still two too many. Every effort must therefore be made to ensure the safety of the initiates and to prevent death from becoming normalised.”

PICC on legal initiation schools applications

Kekana said the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee received a total of 87 applications for the registration of legal initiation schools throughout the province.

He said 83 of these applications were for male initiation schools, while 4 were made for female initiation schools.

“Only 6 of these applications met the requirements and were successful.”

Police have not commented on enquiries regarding the 132 initiates hospitalised while the Gauteng health department was yet to comment regarding the incident.

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