Eastern Cape Family in Shock After 20-Year-Old Initiate Goes Missing

• An Eastern Cape family is in shock after a 20-year-old initiate went missing from his initiation hut in Madizeni village, Ngcobo
• Tomase Koni disappeared on Sunday night, 14 December, deepening anxiety in the province where several initiates have died
• Tomase’s disappearance comes as the family had been preparing to welcome him home later this month

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

An Eastern Cape family is devastated after a 20-year-old initiate disappeared from his initiation hut in Madizeni village, Ngcobo, just days before his scheduled homecoming on 26 December.

Eastern Cape initiate disappeared

According to TimesLive, Tomase Koni went missing on Sunday night, 14 December 2025, raising concern in the province amid a summer initiation season marked by several deaths. According to his aunt, Nonkumbulelo Koni, he had left his hut to relieve himself, accompanied by another initiate and an ikhankatha (traditional nurse). Tomase was last seen when he stepped out of his hut, and those accompanying him reportedly waited at a distance. According to custom, the men at the initiation school were first made aware of his disappearance, but after an unsuccessful overnight search, the family had to inform the women. The search efforts throughout the night reportedly yielded no results.

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The 20-year-old went missing just weeks before his planned homecoming, turning what should have been a joyful occasion into a source of anguish for his family. Their distress deepened on Monday, 14 December, when they received a call from an unknown person demanding R2,000 for his release. Koni said the family is devastated and has turned to the police for assistance.

9 Initiation deaths in the Eastern Cape

Tomase’s disappearance has heightened fears over safety during the Eastern Cape’s summer initiation season, which runs from late November to January. Authorities and traditional leaders report that at least nine initiates have died in the province since early December, despite monitoring and safety campaigns.

Officials continue to stress that ulwaluko should be conducted at registered initiation schools with proper supervision, but illegal sites, dehydration, harsh conditions, and lack of medical care remain major risks.

3 More stories about initiation

• Briefly News also reported that a 12-year-old has tragically passed away following a fire at an initiation school in Limpopo. The youngster, whose name has not yet been released, passed away in a hospital in Gauteng on Wednesday, 9 July 2025. It’s reported that he was an initiate at a school just outside Tzaneen.
• A father was hurt and angry after his son was taken to an initiation school without his permission. The man told a radio station that his father-in-law took his 12-year-old son to the school, where he was subjected to circumcision.
• Many social media called on authorities to take action against all those involved in the death of initiates, including the parents. Three initiates died at schools in Limpopo since the beginning of the winter season.

Source: Briefly News