Fewer applications than last year were received from prospective initiation school operators for the province’s Koma season that is scheduled to commence on 26 June and end on 5 August.
The Provincial Task Team on Initiation Schools has approved 272 permits and rejected 22 of the 294 applications submitted. For the previous season an overwhelming 376 applications were received of which 325 were approved and 51 declined.
Malesela Dikgale, Chairperson of the Provincial Task Team on Initiation Schools said applications are rejected because the applicants do not comply with the standards prescribed by the Initiation Schools Act of 1996. He also ascribed the decline in the number of applications to the act being more strictly enforced. Dikgale added that the task team had decided to approve a manageable number of applications thereby ensuring the smooth running of the schools.
“We nonetheless urge parents to verify the legitimacy of initiation schools with their respective traditional authorities before they send their children there. We don’t want any illegal schools because that is where death cases are reported. If we find an illegally operated school we will close it immediately. It is important for parents to know in advance where their children will be for that period,” Dikgale stressed. He also confirmed that, despite law enforcement and all their precautions they still found a few illegally operated schools during the previous season.
“We have also established a provincial joint priority committee made up of the departments of Health and of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, the South African Police Service as well as other parties to oversee and monitor the running of the schools,” he informed.
During a recent Commission for Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities hearing on the death of young men at initiation schools officials from the Department of Health promised that they would work with the task team to make sure that this year’s initiation season is successful.
At the same hearing Deputy Provincial Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Bafana Linda vowed that should they find any illegally operating school it would be closed down.
In his presentation Linda said that they would enforce the relevant government legislation to ensure that all traditional leaders comply.
“In the past we had some traditional leaders who allowed schools to run without authorisation or permits, we won’t allow that this upcoming season,” he said.
Story: Herbert Rachuene
>>herbert@mailbox.co.za
