EVATON – This was after 27 boys were rescued by an, initiation watch dog in the Sedibeng Region together with police, when the law enforcers of this age-old tradition went on a manhunt over four kidnapped teens recently.
After police and Sedibeng Initiation Traditional Surgeons Committee (SITSC) raided the mountain school on the N1, saving dozens of boys, initiation chiefs followed the convoy in an attempt to forcefully take the boys back.
When they arrived, chaos ensued as cops battled with armed leaders who randomly shot in the police station and damaging a vehicle belonging to an officer.
The 27 boys were taken by the leaders, back to the mountain.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, SITSC chairman said the angry initiation chiefs claimed their clamp down was unfair.
“As we had promised that we will keep this tradition governable, we have started with the processes of making sure schools are legal. We followed a tip-off on four missing boys, when we got to an initiation school on the N1, we found it to be illegal. That was not enough, the school had 27 boys harbored illegally including the four we started the search party for,” he said.
Spinaar said when they went back to Evaton police station, the leaders of that camp, followed them.
“In moments, we experienced chaos and the leaders forcefully took those young boys again. We still going to continue with enforcing the law and make sure that this age-old tradition is saved from the hands of unscrupulous individuals,” he said.
Sedibeng Cluster Police Spokesman Sergeant Shaan Motsapi said a case of malicious damage was opened and one person was arrested.
“A group of initiation leaders stormed the police station and chaos ensued,” he said.
Motsapi explained the involvement of police during raids, alluding that cops are not the ones doing clamp downs.
“Our members are not the ones enforcing the clamp downs. Ours is to attend to complains on missing boys reported by their families,” he said.
“We rescued 27 boys and took them to the copshop with the hopes of taking them back to the families. When their leaders caused chaos, the boys joined in and left with them. We managed to arrest one person on charges of malicious damage,” said the officer.
