Cogta MEC Updates on Eastern Cape Initiation Tragedies as Death Toll Hits 20

• The death toll during this summer’s initiation season in the Eastern Cape has now reached 20
• Provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Zolile Williams announced the latest figures on Monday, 22 December
• Williams confirmed that, since the initiation season began on 14 November, 20 initiates have lost their lives

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.

EASTERN CAPE - The Eastern Cape has recorded 20 deaths so far during this summer’s initiation season, provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Zolile Williams reported.

What did Williams say?

He indicated that dehydration, natural causes, and negligence were the primary factors behind the fatalities. Since the season began on 14 November 2025, the OR Tambo district has experienced the highest number of deaths with seven, followed by the Amathole district with five. Of the 20 initiates who died, Williams noted that 13 had undergone legal circumcision, while seven had been circumcised illegally.

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Williams expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and emphasised that the government regretted the untimely deaths, particularly given the role of those responsible for guiding the initiates through their rites.

He further explained that the provincial government has been taking measures to ensure full compliance with the Customary Initiation Act and the Eastern Cape Customary Male Initiation Practice Act, including ongoing visits to initiation camps across the province.

Calls for vigilance and adherence

In a separate report, Velenkosini Hlabisa has expressed concern over fatalities during the current initiation season in the Eastern Cape. In a statement released by the department on 4 December 2025, he noted that five initiates had already died.

Hlabisa highlighted that the season, which runs from late November to the end of January 2026, involves hundreds of young men embarking on a traditional passage intended to prepare them for the responsibilities of manhood. He cautioned that despite repeated calls for vigilance and adherence to safety regulations, deaths continue to occur during the ceremonies. Hlabisa issued a stern warning to illegal initiation schools, stating that the law would take its course against those operating outside the law. This follows the arrest of 21 individuals linked to illegal initiation activities in the province.

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2 stories about initiation schools

In a related incident, Briefly News reported that an Eastern Cape family was left distressed after their 20-year-old son went missing from his initiation hut in Madizeni village, Ngcobo. Tomase Koni reportedly disappeared on 14 December 2025, raising further concern amid an initiation season already marred by multiple deaths. According to TimesLIVE, his aunt, Nonkumbulelo Koni, said he had left his hut to relieve himself, accompanied by another initiate and a traditional nurse (ikhankatha).

A 12-year-old boy from Limpopo died during the winter initiation season in July 2025. The boy reportedly passed away in a Gauteng hospital on 9 July 2025 following a fire at an initiation school outside Tzaneen. His death marked the second fatality in the province since the season began on 23 June 2025.

Source: Briefly News