eMbalenhle community rescues over 100 boys from illegal initiation schools in Standerton
Traditional leaders have also voiced outrage, warning that criminals are exploiting this sacred cultural practice.
More than 100 boys aged 14 to 17 were found and removed from two initiation schools in the Standerton area on May 11.
The intervention came after a community meeting in eMbalenhle that morning addressed a rise in boys going missing during the Basotho initiation season.
With support from the Vukanini Taxi Association (Vukta) and a local security company, attendees resolved to visit nearby initiation schools to retrieve their children.
They travelled in a convoy of taxis to schools located on Cedarmont and Holmdene farms in the Standerton area. At Holmdene, the group also dismantled a grass kraal and a shack used for initiation practices.
When questioned, some boys said a truck picked them up in eMbalenhle on May 7. Others told the newspaper they fled to the initiation schools to escape bullying and exclusion at school, especially being denied access to toilets by peers who had already undergone initiation.
The rescued boys are from eMbalenhle, Kinross, Leandra and eMzinoni. When the community arrived, the initiation school leaders tried to flee but were caught. The police from Grootvlei and Val were dispatched to monitor the situation.
Authorities confirmed some initiation leaders were assaulted and are receiving medical attention. However, community members said they were unaware of any violence.
This incident is the latest in a series of troubling events linked to the Basotho initiation season, during which several boys go missing annually in eMbalenhle, Bethal, Leandra and Sakhile (Standerton). While some boys attend these schools voluntarily, others are believed to be kidnapped.
In a separate recent incident, the Sakhile SAPS and Team Ngenelela rescued several boys from an initiation school in Standerton. Many were taken from eMbalenhle, Leandra and eMzinoni, not just Sakhile.
The SAPS took the boys to the Standerton Police Station and later reunited them with their parents, who expressed alarm over what they called a rising number of forced abductions. Others said their children ran away without permission.
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Traditional leaders have also voiced outrage, warning that criminals are exploiting this sacred cultural practice. Stolen Khanyi, a respected Basotho traditional leader, acknowledged that criminal elements had infiltrated the initiation process.
He revealed that some perpetrators demand money from parents after taking their children to initiation schools without consent.
“We cannot deny that criminal activity now occurs during our Basotho initiation season. It undermines our culture. These are people with no respect for tradition; they are only in it for the money,” said Khanyi.
He added that, in many cases, boys arrive at the schools with forged or questionable consent forms, supposedly signed by their parents.
Additionally, some boys who have already undergone initiation are reportedly recruiting others directly from schools.
“As Basotho, our initiation season occurs every year, unlike other traditions that take three years to prepare. This is our heritage, passed down by our forefathers, and it cannot be changed. However, we must confront those who exploit it,” he added.
Khanyi recounted how he once retrieved a runaway boy from an initiation school in Val, only to discover later the boy’s Facebook posts detailing plans to join another school. He urged parents to take an active role in guiding their children.
“It’s important for parents to guide their children. When boys get involved in cultural practices they don’t understand or belong to, it can lead to trouble for them and the community. Sometimes, these boys return home and become gangsters who commit crimes,” said Khanyi.
Tragically, this issue has already claimed lives. In July last year, 17-year-old Ayanda Maduba from eMbalenhle died after attending an initiation school in Standerton without informing his parents.
Meanwhile, the case of a suspect arrested last year for allegedly kidnapping boys and taking them to initiation schools is ongoing in the Evander Magistrate’s Court. Another case involving the death of a boy from Leandra is set for court in August.
