A group of parents gathered at Vosman Police Station to report an illegal initiation school operating in Old Coronation.
The parents, mostly mothers, were very angry about the school and how the children were collected without their permission. Some of the parents said that some of the children were still in their school uniforms. They alleged that their children were picked up by a van and taken to the school in Old Coronation. They said their children were picked up from Friday, June 2 afternoon and on the following days and that the number had increased to more than 80 boys.
“He had the guts to take our children to the initiation school without our permission and some of the children are under age and some were circumcised while still young, some of them have medical conditions. How is he going to feed such a number of children, he had broken all the rules regarding initiation schools,” said one of the parents.
A meeting was then arranged by Vosman police together with members of Ingoma Forum and Inkosi Nsizwa Mahlangu of Hlalanikahle together with the principal of the initiation school.
Some of the parents who claimed that their children were taken to an initiation school in Old Coronation without their permission.
A lot of issues were raised by parents telling the meeting that they went to the school to look for their children and try to negotiate with the principal to release them but he refused and showed a lot of arrogance and disrespect.
During the meeting members of the Ingoma Forum indicated that they were concerned about the illegal initiation schools mushrooming all over the province and especially in eMalahleni.
Inkosi Mahlangu pointed out that he had personally advised the principal not to open a school until he has met him. Inkosi Mahlangu told the meeting that the principal had broken all the rules and the initiation school was illegal. Inkosi Mahlangu promised that he will take over the running of the school for the sake of the children and their parents.
Inkosi Nsizwa Mahlangu of Hlalanikahle who promised to take over the running of the initiation school.
The police advise the parents to make a statement and they will investigate the case.
Only recently a family had to endure anguish after a 14-year-old boy did not come home after school. The mother had to search for him at a friends place on Friday, April 28 and was later advised to search for him in an initiation school. It later turned out that indeed the boy was in one of the initiation schools. The 14-year-old was tricked by his 19-year-old friend to go to the initiation school.
The family found the boy in one of the schools at Langkloof and they had to pay a fine to secure his release. The family were also relieved after they secured his school uniform and books even though the school bag is missing.
Recently, police in Mpumalanga issued a statement that they were concerned about four deaths which occurred recently at initiation schools at KwaMhlanga, Kwaggafontein, Vosman and Belfast.
All four initiates, aged between 14 and 21, had complications that led to their deaths and a probe is underway.
A preliminary investigation discovered that one of the victims was 14-years-old, of which according to the Mpumalanga Ingoma Act 3 of 2011, no person under the age of 16 may attend an Ingoma as an initiate (umkhethwa).
The circumstances under which he was admitted or accepted at that institution is a subject for investigation because the Act also states that a minor may not attend an Ingoma without his parents’ or legal guardians’ consent.
The consent required must be in the format set out in Schedule 2 of the Act, meaning that the consent must be accompanied by a medical certificate issued by a medical practitioner declaring that such person is fit to participate in the traditional practice concerned and submitted to the person who holds the Ingoma. In terms of the Act, any person who holds an Ingoma, must at all reasonable times, for the duration of an Ingoma, have the consent forms completed in terms of subsection (1), pertaining to the abakhethwa (initiates) attending an Ingoma, available for inspection.
The police urge parents to instruct their children not to go on their own to initiation institutions as there must be a transaction between the parents and the owners of the initiation schools. On the same note, police also request the owners not to accept children who come on their own but must contact the parents before accepting them in terms of the Act.
ALSO READ:
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/92589/police-concerned-recent-deaths-initiation-schools/
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/18813/teenager-died-initiation-school/
