SEDIBENG – Over the weekend, jubilation, ululation, singing and chanting was order of the day as the boys came back alive.

Initiates broke in their Sotho traditional songs celebrating their circumcision, walking bare foot, donning decorated blankets and animal skin covered with red clay, this is how the boys wore pride in overcoming their rite of passage.

Hundreds of residents came out in their numbers to witness the rituals performed when initiates passed-out from their cultural schools.

Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Pheello ‘Fire’ Mollo said they were happy to bring back all the boys alive to their parents.

“When we took these boys to the mountain, we promised their parents that we will return them as men without any casualties. This weekend, we did just that as Tau Diarora and we are proud,” he said.

Mollo said they initially took in about fourteen boys and returned home twenty.

“Our first intake saw 14 boys taken in for initiation and all of them came back. We had a few who followed soon as they were done with their exams and they moved our number to 20,” he said.

Jubilant mother, Lerato Mofokeng (39) said she was happy to see her boy come back as a man.

“We normally hear stories about children who die in initiation school and taking mine there was not an easy task. We are a traditionally bound family and having our boy back, brings hope that the age-old tradition is still in good hands,” she said.

“We would like to thank initiation chiefs for taking good care of our boys and bringing them back as men,” she said.

Phakisi Mokoena said: “our son is back from initiation and he came back a new man with a new name. We thank all those who supported us in this journey. Initiation is our way of life and we embrace it,” he said.