Taxi opeators abducted for initiation
The taxi industry in some parts of Sekhukhune is currently under siege as some operators have reportedly been abducted and taken to initiation schools against their will
LIMPOPO – Terrified taxi operators and concerned people have complained that stick-wielding gangs were kidnapping targeted men and took them to the cultural initiation schools in Jane Furse to be circumcised against their will.
Jeremiah Mokoana, one of the concerned taxi operators, said: “one of our taxi drivers was forcefully taken by men armed with sticks who were swearing at the Jane Furse taxi rank on early last week. We reported the incident to the police but they failed to rescue the man. The police officers who responded to our call gave us the run-around. They even told us that there is no case here. There is another pending case against one of our colleagues.”
Provincial Police Spokesperson, Col Malesela Ledwaba, confirmed a case of kidnapping was opened at Jane Furse Police Station.
“We open cases against people who abduct others and take them to initiation schools. We want to state categorically that as the police, we will not tolerate such kind of behaviour. There is no individual who should be forced to go into initiation rituals against his will as this is tantamount to trampling on that person’s human rights. We are collaborating with relevant stakeholders, like traditional leaders on this matter” said Ledwaba.
The suspects in this particular case at Jane Furse have been identified.
The Chairperson of the House of Traditional leaders in the province, who is also chairperson of the initiation task team, Kgoshi Malesela Dikgale said, “We received a report regarding the alleged abduction incident of a man in Sekhukhune. I contacted the owner of the initiation school who told me that he just saw the man being brought to the establishment. We had some brief discussions and the man was subsequently released.”
Dikgale has since advised people to report such incidents to the local traditional council.
There are 323 initiation schools operating in various parts of the province with approved permits.
Sekhukhune leads the pack with 118 initiation camps. Initiates are expected to graduate into men on 15 July.
