Dad of initiate who died in Leandra, claims tongue was removed
The Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said their task team investigated and finalised the case. The docket will soon be taken to the Directorate of Public Prosecution to decide if someone has to be prosecuted.
Jonas Ditsego demands the truth of what happened to his son at an initiation school on the Goedehoop Farm near Leandra.
Thabang Ditsego (27) is one of the four Sotho initiates whose bodies were found next to burning tyres in July.
Ditsego said his child died mysteriously. Someone removed his tongue. The Ditsego family wants the body to be exhumed and thoroughly examined.
“When we arrived at the mortuary, we found the families of the other three deceased already there. One family claimed their child was without a tongue. We were shocked and immediately checked Thabang’s body. His tongue was also missing,” exclaimed Ditsego.
Thabang’s death certificate states he died of unnatural causes. The SAPS found four of the 11 initiates lying on the grass and covered with blankets next to burning tyres.
The police spokesperson said at the time, all the deceased had bruises on their heads and bodies.
According to the person who alerted the police, he woke up that morning and noticed four initiates were moving up and down.
Ditsego said his son did not get the necessary consent from his family to attend the initiation school.
“This is the first time I heard of an initiation school run out of a garage at a house. The Ditsego family has our own cultural way of preparing boys for initiation.
“We are supposed to conduct an ancestral ceremony before we can attend initiation school. We did not prepare my son,” said Ditsego.
He claimed the consent form for Thabang’s entry into the initiation school, where he lost his life, was fake.
“It had not been signed by me or his late mother’s family members.”
Ditsego also claimed the family only heard of Thabang’s death much later.
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“They did not inform us immediately. The first words we heard of Thabang’s death were those uttered on the streets. We only received official confirmation two days later,” said Ditsego.
The Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said their task team investigated and finalised the case.
He said the docket will soon be taken to the Directorate of Public Prosecution to decide if someone has to be prosecuted for the deaths of the four young men.
Mohlala and the family will be informed about the decision.
