SEBOKENG. – A human skull and bones believed to be those of Tshidiso Matang (23), who was reported missing from an initiation school in the mountains in Lethabong, just outside Sebokeng in Gauteng, were discovered on Monday.

Matang, originally from Heilbron in the Free State, went missing from the initiation school in November.

Police reports indicated that Matang and another initiate ran away from the school but were found by a group of people sent to look for them. They are said to have been found injured, weak and malnourished.

When they were found, the other initiate is said to have escaped again and was in hiding, fearing for his life, police told Sedibeng Ster.

It is not known what happened to Matang. His family reported him missing when other initiates returned from the school and he was not with them.

Following thorough police investigations, the initiate who was in hiding was traced. He led police to the location where he last saw Matang, resulting in the discovery of the skull and bones between reeds, in a trench, where he and Matang had both fallen when trying to escape.

Police, using sniffer dogs, had conducted various searches in the area previously.

Solomon Spinaar Mofokeng, the Sedibeng Traditional Surgeons Committee Leader, emphasises the need for parents to ensure the legitimacy of initiation schools and adhere to their rules and regulations.

“This situation is one of those sad ones. Parents are requested to make sure that there is nothing amiss with the initiation schools that they send their children to. They need to make sure that everything is in order. We are not happy with what happened there and justice must be done. The leaders of the school must be brought forward to explain what happened,” Mofokeng says.

Boipatong police spokesperson Sergeant Thembeka Maxambela says an inquest docket has been opened, and that they are awaiting DNA tests to positively confirm the identity of the remains.