Initiation schools under scrutiny as season opens

LIMPOPO -The House approved application in the following areas Capricorn (89), Mopani (53), Sekhukhune (118), Waterberg (44) and Vhembe (21).

Head of the House of Traditional Leaders in Limpopo, Chief Malesela Dikgale said the initiation school period is set to start Friday (today) and run until 18 July and that the names of all approved schools will be published and circulated in all tribal offices of senior traditional leaders in the province.

“We conducted a workshop for all senior traditional leaders and traditional surgeons who have been given permits to host initiation schools, to brief and prepare stakeholders on the precautionary measures to be followed in order to have a smooth initiation period,” he said.

According to Dikgale, legislation regulating initiation schools is outdated.

“Our hands are tied and that is why bogus surgeons simply open schools. They know we can’t charge them.”

He said that last year, they made several proposals to Legislature in an effort to reduce the problem of illegal schools mushrooming.

“We have also raised the issue of fees as in some instances, parents are forced to pay exorbitant fees. We need Legislature to come up with a fixed amount that parents are required to pay when taking their boys to the initiation school,” he said.

Dikgale says that according to law no person can run an initiation school without a permit. “Also, no traditional surgeon or any other person is allowed to perform rituals in an initiation school without a certificate of fitness issued for that purpose by a registered medical practitioner authorised by the premier.”

Furthermore, no person below the age of 12 can attend an initiation school and initiates may not attend initiation schools more than five days after the commencement of the school term.

Boys must also be enrolled by choice and not through abduction or force.

“Our province has an impressive record of running cultural initiation schools. Traditional leadership at all levels in the province has institutionalised the practice with effective governance systems. We want to commend all the stakeholders and encourage them to keep to that standard. In an effort to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives, we request parents to send their children to approved initiation schools,” Dikgale said.

He reiterated that there would be zero tolerance shown to those conducting initiation schools illegally.

“It is our wish and commitment as the Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders that during this initiation season, no lives should be lost,” said Dikgale.
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