Initiation schools suspended for 2020
The Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders has resolved to suspend the 2020 initiation schools until further notice. The decision was taken as a result of the lockdown and limitations on gatherings to decrease the spread of the Corona virus.
LIMPOPO – “All traditional leaders, traditional surgeons and traditional health practitioners should adhere to the decision and focus on the fight against Covid-19”, said the Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Malesela Dikgale.
“The decision was made in the best interest of initiates, and to protect human life in general”, he said.
Dikgale said the decision was taken by the Executive and was communicated to the Committee of the House of Traditional Leaders and Nyangas (traditional doctors) after which it was to be discussed with all traditional leaders, but because of the lockdown this meeting could not take place.
“If we had continued with the initiation schools, the number of school holiday days and the initiates that could attend would not have been worth the while. The school holidays have been reduced to a much shorter period, too short for the period the schools are to be held, and due to the lockdown, we may not gather in numbers and host workshops for the traditional leaders. We received 329 applications for schools to be conducted in June, which would amount to an expected 40 000 initiates partaking in the schools. Except for workshops that cannot be conducted, permits would not have been issued in time, and appeals would not have been heard in time after the lockdown has come to an end. Some leaders still hope it can take place, as their culture is important to them.
“Each leader only has the chance to conduct an initiation school once every three to four years, as we have 185 leaders in the province, and not all can be accommodated to run a school every year,” Dikgale said.
He called on all South Africans to stay at home, avoid public spaces and all social activities during the national lockdown period.
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