Contralesa Calls for Eastern Cape Initiation Schools To Be Temporarily Banned for 2 Years

• The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) wants the government to ban initiation schools in the Eastern Cape temporarily
• This was after 20 initiates reportedly died since the summer initiation season began this year
• Contralesa said that the ban would allow the government and society to devise plans to prevent more initiates from dying

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

EASTERN CAPE—The Congress of Traditional Leaders in South Africa (Contralesa) believes that a temporary two-year ban on initiation schools in the Eastern Cape would give the government and stakeholders time to devise a means to prevent initiates from dying.

Eastern Cape Initiates died

According to SABC News, 20 initiates have died in initiation schools in the province since the beginning of the summer initiation season. The president of Contralesa, Kgosi Mathupa-Mokoena, believes foul play is at hand. He said stakeholders affected by the initiation school death must examine what must be done to prevent initiates' deaths in the province.

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"Why are other provinces not experiencing what we are experiencing here? It means something is missing here," he said.

Initiation school deaths in 2024

• An initiate died in the Mzamomhle area in June, allegedly at a bogus initiation school
• The Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders investigated the deaths of four initiates in the same month
• An astonishing 14 initiates had died by July in the province, prompting a response from the government

SA calls for permanent ban

Netizens on Facebook demanded that the government ban the practice of initiation.

Manford Nyoni Mhike said:

"Government must ban this kind of culture for good. How can families lose their loved ones just like that?"

Phetola James Tjabadi said:

"20 Is too much. They must ban this permanently."

Siongezo Songi Sithuba said:

"Ban only the hotspots. We are this old and have never buried an initiate."

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Spokes Mashiyane said:

"Ban permanently this stupid ritual that has become a graveyard for kids!"

Isaac Chipofya Litche said:

"This has to stop. Seeing our boys die like this is hurtful."

Eastern Cape initiation schools face extortion

In a related article, Briefly News reported that initiation schools in the Eastern Cape have been exposed to extortion. Extortionists have been demanding protection fees from the initiates under threat of not going home.

In a video which was posted on TikTok, a victim was interviewed and explained that an elderly man was turned back from the bush on his way to an initiation school. The man told him nobody could go into the bush without paying extortion fees.

Source: Briefly News