Family of Free State Boy Who Died in Initiation School Wants Suspects To Rot in Jail

• A family that lost a son in an illegal initiation school in the Free State demanded justice for their child
• His body was discovered after his family reported him missing when he allegedly ran away to join the school
• South Africans weighed in on the importance of initiation schools, as the family called for lengthy sentences to be given to the suspects

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered a range of criminal activities, including cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, police investigations, police shootouts, and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

BOTSHABELO, FREE STATE The family of Andile Zungulwa demanded that those responsible for his death after he joined an illegal initiation school must rot in jail.

What happened to Andile Zungulwa?

According to SABC News, Zungulwa's body was discovered in Theunissen, Free State, on 8 July 2025, tied and in a horrible condition. He was allegedly beaten to death. Zungulwa's aunt, Nontsokolo Zungulwa, said that Andile ran away to join the school on 27 May. This was despite them agreeing with him that he would go to an initiation school in Botshabelo in the summer.

The family paid R3000 after signing forged documents. However, when Andile did not come back, the family searched for answers. The initiation school teachers first told them that Andile escaped the school, and then told them that a group of men attacked the school and allegedly killed him.

Initiation school operators arrested

Andile's family opened a missing person's case on 3 July, and his body was found days later. Police closed the school after the parents learned that Andile was not on the list of initiates. The police charged them with operating an illegal initiation school. Five people were arrested and charged with murder, defeating the ends of justice and contravening the Initiation Schools Act.

Andile's aunt said that she wants justice to prevail. She wants them to remain in jail and believes that the act was premeditated because of how they found him.

Initiation school deaths

The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) urged the government in December 2024 to close initiation schools for two years to prevent initiates from dying. This was after 20 initiates died in the initiation schools in the 2024 summer initiation school.

A 12-year-old was killed in Limpopo during the winter initiation school season in July. A fire broke out in the camp of the initiation school outside of Tzaneen, and he was burned. He was rushed to a hospital in Gauteng, where he died on 9 July.

South Africans weigh in

Netizens on Facebook discussed the death and the safety of initiation schools.

Gary Brink said:

"Every year like clockwork. This practice must be banned."

Nkwli Thendele Shiba said:

"I wouldn't forgive myself for taking my son to a slaughterhouse just for a foreskin to be removed. This thing must end."

King J King said:

"People don't listen. Only when something terrible happens do you realise that it's a bogus school."

Tim Poyi said:

"It's so sad. Unfortunately, suing them won't bring him back. They should forgive themselves."

12-year-old boy taken to initiation school without consent

In a related article, Briefly News reported that a man accused his father-in-law of taking his son to initiation school without his permission. He said that the incident happened when the boy was 12.

The man called a radio station and shared how hurt he was. He added that the experience broke his relationship with his father-in-law.

Source: Briefly News