Latest news with #CustomaryInitiationAct
News24
4 days ago
- General
- News24
Cogta vows to clamp down on illegal initiation schools, after 94 deaths last year
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Velenkosini Hlabisa, has vowed to crack down on illegal initiation schools after 94 people died last year. Hlabisa launched the winter initiation season in Bloemfontein at the weekend, saying initiation schools have a 'collective duty to safeguard the lives and dignity of all initiates throughout the season'. He said that during the 2024 initiation season, 94 people died, and another 11 suffered amputations due to unsafe initiation practices. He added that incidents were especially prevalent in the Eastern Cape and Free State. Hlabisa reaffirmed the government's unwavering commitment to the full enforcement of the Customary Initiation Act. The minister said his department would be enforcing the mandatory registration and verification of initiation schools, thorough medical screening of all initiates, rigorous training and vetting of traditional surgeons and caregivers, deployment of monitoring units and emergency response services, and strict enforcement of health protocols to mitigate risks such as dehydration and hypothermia. Hlabisa stated that Cogta will work in close collaboration with various government departments to ensure a smooth and well-managed initiation season. 'Registration does not exempt anyone from accountability. Any school that contravenes the law, disregards safety regulations or endangers lives will be closed without hesitation, the law is unequivocal and applies to all,' said Hlabisa. He urged parents, traditional leaders, and community members to all remain vigilant and report any signs of abuse, misconduct, or non-compliance.
The Citizen
7 days ago
- The Citizen
Traditional leaders warn initiation schools to toe the line
Contralesa warns unregistered initiation schools that abuse and extort money from families will not be tolerated. The Congress of Traditional Leaders (Contralesa) urges initiation school owners to respect the law to avoid unnecessary deaths. Chief Mathupa Mokoena, president of Contralesa, who is also a senior member of the Mpumalanga House of Traditional Leaders, was commenting after several illegal schools were closed in Mpumalanga. Recently, the police, officials from the Mpumalanga House of Traditional Leaders and the Mpumalanga department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs shut down bogus schools and rescued initiates, who were then taken to legitimate schools. Boys rescued from bogus initiation schools Mokoena said the authorities were alerted by concerned community members, and monitoring teams were sent to investigate. He said the illegal schools' owners 'kidnapped' teenagers and later demanded money from the parents. ALSO READ: Gauteng man arrested for illegal initiation school and taking in children They also initiated underage children. 'We have closed many bogus schools in the province. 'Some owners released the children and ran away when hearing that our team was coming. Underage children initiated 'We know that there are criminals hired to kidnap children and take them to the mountains, especially to the illegal schools. 'They are charging per child, which means the more they kidnap children the more money they make. ALSO READ: Boy runs away to join initiation school, family given list of items to secure his return 'This year we want to deal with that and other related issues. 'Addressing the issues of illegal schools is one of the ways of addressing the kidnapping of children,' said Mokoena. 'Initiation seasons have started throughout the country and we want to make sure that we curb the kidnapping incidents and other things that may lead to unnecessary deaths and the abuse of initiates.' Kidnapping of children Mokoena reiterated that only those who have permits issued by their respective traditional leaders, the provincial house or the municipality, where there are no traditional leaders, are allowed to run these schools. He did not divulge how many initiates had been rescued so far from bogus schools. ALSO READ: Initiation schools: Commission wants answers on why recommendations haven't been carried out The leader said the closure of the schools served as a warning to those planning to commit the same crime. He also warned parents to be cautious and not to take their children to unregistered schools. 'When you get there, the first thing is for the principal of the school to show you the permits. Parent, don't take your children to unregistered schools 'And check whether the stamp is a recent one because there are people who like taking chances, who might even use old permits to run those schools.' Anyone found to have disobeyed the Customary Initiation Act would be sent straight to jail, he said. ALSO READ: Restoring tradition without reinforcing harmful patriarchy He also urged people not to admit underage children to their schools. 'One other issue that I want to caution the owners of the school on is that they should not assault the initiates or treat them as if they are in the army. 'Another issue to caution the Ingoma holders about is the price that they are charging our people. Ingoma is not a money-making scheme 'Ingoma is not a money-making scheme. Therefore, those prices will be monitored. 'If we discover that you are charging exorbitant amounts, you will regret it because we will simply tell the parents not to pay.' NOW READ: 23 arrests made after Eastern Cape initiation school deaths as Hlabisa considers suspension
The Citizen
29-05-2025
- The Citizen
Gauteng man arrested for illegal initiation school and taking in children
The man was arrested in Soshanguve and allegedly initiated children as young as four. The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities is welcoming the arrest of the owner of an allegedly illegal initiation school in Gauteng taking in underage children. A 39-year-old man, who operated his initiation school in Soshanguve in Tshwane, was reportedly arrested yesterday and the school closed. Children as young as four The man, who made headlines after community members claimed he had initiated a four-year-old baby and an 11-year-old, was arrested on Tuesday and is expected to appear in court soon. 'What he did was wrong. There is no culture allowing the initiation of underage children,' said George Mahlangu, deputy chair of the commission. Commission praises swift arrest and closure 'We commend the authorities for attending to the matter. To make things worse this man did not have a permit to operate such a school and he is also underage because to be a principal you need to be at least 40 years old or above, while he is only 39.' Mahlangu urged initiation school owners to respect the law to preserve the good reputation of African culture. ALSO READ: Boy runs away to join initiation school, family given list of items to secure his return Department warns of legal consequences Gauteng department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs spokesperson Mary Martins said: 'The safety of our children is our priority and focus. Any underage child or minor found on the premises will be taken for health screening before being handed over to their parents or legal guardians. We believe this may be an isolated incident.' Martins said the department's provincial initiation coordinating committee (PICC) monitors initiation schools in the province to ensure they comply with the law. She said those who transgress the Customary Initiation Act, 2021, would be dealt with according to legislative provisions. Community urged to report violations Martins said the department, supported by a team of police officers, the department of health and social development, responds to alerts from community members and other community-based forums where unregistered initiation schools, abuse of initiates and abductions have been identified. 'The department would like to urge community members to inform the department of any unregistered or abuse within initiation schools. 'Members of the community or any affected person may report cases to the department via e-mail at Initiation@ za or, via phone, Mluleki Ngomane at 079 874 3680 or Lebogang Bogopane at 079 524 0736.' PICC spokesperson Kiba Kekana said the committee and the department had strengthened the rules and no school could register teens under the age of 16. NOW READ: Calls for 'stronger crime preventions' amid Soshanguve killings
