Man netted for allegedly raping an EC initiate

JOHANNESBURG - Eastern Cape police have arrested a 39-year-old man in Centane, Eastern Cape, for allegedly raping an initiate. 

It comes as a blow to the isiXhosa rite of passage - initiation of boys into manhood - with at least 20 initiates losing their lives this season alone.

This has prompted the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, to call an emergency meeting on Friday to address this year's spate of initiate deaths in the province.

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The province’s police spokesperson, Majola Nkohi, confirmed the alleged rape.

"The circumstances surrounding the incident are forming part of the investigation. The suspect is neither a traditional surgeon nor a nurse."

The suspect is due to appear before the Centane Magistrates Court on Monday, 30 December 2024 on a charge of rape.