SEDIBENG. – Operation Shanela has intensified its efforts to eliminate illegal initiation schools in Sedibeng. On Thursday, November 30, authorities rescued approximately 16 boys from illicit initiation camps in Sebokeng and Eatonside during a concerted operation involving police and municipal officials. In a coordinated display of strength, law enforcement and municipal personnel conducted raids at several initiation camps, mobilising numerous marked vehicles from the early hours of the morning.

The initiates were discovered deep within the bush at Toreng, a well-known summer initiation location.

Responding to a surge in reported missing child cases across various police stations, the Acting District Commissioner established a task force specifically focused on addressing issues surrounding initiation practices.

Captain Teboho Lephoto, spokesperson for the Sedibeng Cluster police, explained: “Acting-District Commissioner Brigadier Nkwashu expanded the scope of Operation Shanela to include illegal initiation schools, following numerous complaints from parents regarding recent disappearances of their children.”

“A dedicated Sedibeng task team was promptly assembled to tackle this problem,” Lephoto added, noting the involvement of stakeholders like the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, as well as officials from the Sedibeng District Municipality responsible for overseeing initiation schools in the region.

Lephoto detailed the operation’s outcomes: “During the operation targeting four initiation schools in Toreng, outside Sebokeng, it was discovered that one of the schools did not comply with regulations.

Consequently, the initiator was apprehended, and 16 teenage boys were safely rescued and reunited with their families.”

“We urge parents to remain vigilant, especially during this period, as incidents of child disappearances tend to escalate around this time of the year,” he emphasized.

Solomon ‘Spinaar’ Mofokeng, Chairman of the Sedibeng Initiation Forum, led the enforcement actions, affirming their commitment to ongoing monitoring to prevent the proliferation of illegal initiation schools.