North West Crackdown: Cases Filed Against Bogus Initiation School Leaders
- North West officials have shut down 17 initiation schools and rescued over 100 initiates from the establishments
- A multi-disciplinary operation that inspected the schools found irregularities with the facilities and practitioners’ credentials
- The Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committees confirmed that cases were opened against some of the principals
Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered current affairs on the radio for over 15 years.
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Authorities have opened cases against some of the principals at the 17 illegal initiation schools that were shut down in the North West.
Authorities rescue scores of initiates
According to EWN, over 100 initiates were rescued from the schools after officials who inspected the facilities found irregularities.
The winter school operation was a collaboration between the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department (COGTA), the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committees (PICC), and the police. The inspections were part of province-wide oversight visits conducted during the winter initiation season.
Mzansi calls for increased health precautions at initiation schools
Many social media users emphasised the need for heightened health safety precautions at initiation schools.
@ButlerDumb wondered:
“Why don’t these elders work together with Mens Health Clinics where it is a safe and supervised environment? They are, firstly, cheap, and snip-snip is what they do best. Everyone is safe and happy.”
@JayKay92102236 asked:
“This is so primitive. If one person dies due to a COVID-19 injection, the project is stopped immediately. We all know that many initiates will die, but the ritual continues year after year. What is going on?”
@DecideDied said:
“They need to arrest the operators of those illegal schools.”
@LibraYono advised:
“Instead of rescuing young men from initiation schools, specialists should be appointed to assist them in completing their once-in-a-lifetime traditional educational experience according to their culture, ensuring a successful journey to manhood.”
Ingoma Forum urges health collaboration for safer initiation schools
Briefly News reported that the Ingoma Forum urged initiation schools to work with healthcare facilities.
Chairperson Dr Vusi Masombuka said that with outbreaks such as Mpox, schools need to prioritise the health of the initiates.
Masomuka advised that those operating initiation schools should coordinate with health facilities to screen the initiates.
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Source: Briefly News
