Initiation school
3 suspects arrested for Tsomo initiates murder
The bodies of three initiates were found at Tsomo village in the Eastern Cape at the weekend.
The bill is intended to regulate initiation schools and the aim is to root out illegal schools.
Another two teenagers have died during the winter initiation season in the Eastern Cape.
Circumstances surrounding the deaths of three Mpumalanga initiates have not yet been confirmed.
Chairperson Kgoshi Mokoena says they are shocked by the deaths because they come on the first week since the opening of the schools.
UJ’s Kaamini Reddy says the institution has a zero tolerance approach to students who are involved in such practices.
Govt says in many instances teenage boys run away to initiation schools as a result of peer pressure.
Johan Mlombo (50) was sentenced to 17 life sentences for raping 17 girls in 24 hours.
Johan Mlombo was found guilty of raping the girls at an initiation school in Mpumalanga in August 2012.
The official death toll this season has reached 25, with most fatalities reported in the Eastern Cape.
Traditional Affairs Deputy Minister Obed Bapela says of the 1,100 initiates, 145 are in hospital.
There have been increased reports of kidnappings since the start of the circumcision season.
It’s believed the deceased are aged between 14 and 17 years old.
Contralesa says commercialisation of cultural initiation is to blame for the lawless behaviour at schools.
Police say the boys were not kidnapped as they went to the school voluntarily.
Thirty six teenage boys died in the Eastern Cape during the winter initiation season.
The PE initiation school recorded no fatalities since it was establishment over 20 years ago.
31 young men have died since the start of the initiation season due to botched circumcisions.
The Traditional Affairs Dept says many illegal schools are run by young men out to make a quick buck.