Death Toll Climbs to 41 This Initiation Season, Authorities Demand Parental Responsibility

• The death toll in this year’s summer initiation season has risen to 41, with authorities urging parents to ensure their sons’ safety
• Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa and Deputy Minister Xolile Burns-Ncamashe have called for stricter oversight
• Recent tragedies include a 19-year-old matric learner in North West and a 12-year-old in Limpopo, highlighting the ongoing risks of initiation schools

The death toll in this year’s summer initiation season has risen to 41, Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa confirmed on Monday, 29 December 2025.

Authorities are urging parents to take greater responsibility for the safety of their sons during initiation school ceremonies.

So far, 41 people have been arrested in connection with the deaths, including two parents.

Minister held a high-level meeting to tackle deaths at initiation schools

Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisi recently held a high-level meeting with stakeholders from across the province to address the rising number of fatalities on 23 December 2025.

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The meeting followed alarming statistics showing that 36 initiates had already lost their lives earlier in the season, with 20 in the Eastern Cape, 13 in the Free State, two in Gauteng, and one in the North West.

The department attributed the deaths to poor hygiene, dehydration, and negligence. Since the initiation season began on 14 November 2025, the OR Tambo district recorded the highest number of fatalities with seven, followed by the Amathole district with five. Authorities said they would continue to enforce compliance with the Customary Initiation Act and the Eastern Cape Customary Male Initiation Practice Act, including ongoing visits to initiation camps to safeguard the well-being of initiates.

Deputy Minister conducts an oversight visit

Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Xolile Burns-Ncamashe, visited the Eastern Cape on 18 December 2025 to inspect six initiation schools where most deaths allegedly occurred. In an interview with eNCA before the visit, he described the fatalities as a stark reminder of the ongoing crisis. Burns-Ncamashe highlighted the support provided by the NGO Right to Care, which has been active in assisting the sector. However, the organisation reportedly had to scale back operations after losing PEPFAR funding, which had been withdrawn under former US President Donald Trump.

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Matric student found dead after alleged forced initiation in North West

Recent tragic initiation cases across provinces

• Recently, Briefly News reported that a19-year-old matric learner, Onalenna Booi from Tiego Tawana Secondary School in Dithakang village, near Mafikeng, died after reportedly being forcibly taken to an initiation school. He went missing shortly after completing his final exams in late November 2025. Police later found him dead. School principal Pogiso Tshipo described Booi as hardworking and determined, noting significant improvement in his attitude and behaviour during his final year.
• In Limpopo, a 12-year-old boy died following a fire at an initiation school in Mopani district. The child was transferred from a local hospital to Gauteng, where he succumbed to his injuries. In a separate incident, 19-year-old Raymond Sekele died at Philadelphia Hospital in the Sekhukhune District after suffering an epileptic seizure while attending an initiation school.
• An Eastern Cape family is in shock after 20-year-old initiate Tomase Koni went missing from his initiation hut in Madizeni village on 14 December 2025, amid a season already marred by multiple deaths. According to his aunt, Nonkumbulelo Koni, he had left the hut to relieve himself, accompanied by another initiate and a traditional nurse. The family’s distress was intensified the same day when they received a call from an unknown person demanding R2,000 for his release.

Source: Briefly News