MEC Shiba suspends all initiation schools in Mpumalanga
Traditional leaders are urged to follow the rules and suspends all initiation schools in the country and take extraordinary steps to reduce the infection rate.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has suspended the initiation practice (Ingoma) in the province until further notice.
“This suspension is in accordance with the Disaster Management regulations outlined by the national Department of Cooperative Governance as one of the preventative measures against the spread of the virus, as well as President Ramaphosa’s call to suspend all gatherings during the alert level 4 lockdown,” said the MEC for this department, Busi Shiba.
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“Regulations direct the traditional leadership institution to suspend all cultural activities in order to reduce human contact,” she said.
The Cogta minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, designated under section 3 and 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002), has gazetted a notice which moves the country to adjusted level 4 as announced by the president.
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In a statement, the minister said the third wave and the Delta variant have led to a massive surge in new infections which necessitated that they must once again tighten restrictions on the movement of persons, gatherings, curfews and non pharmaceutical interventions. Under alert level 4, initiation practices and post-initiation celebrations are prohibited.
