Latest news with #CustomaryInitiationAct
The Herald
3 days ago
- The Herald
‘No life should be lost': Limpopo premier applauds safe rites for thousands and mourns two lost initiates
Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has commended the province's traditional leadership and stakeholders for the smooth running of the 2025 initiation season, which officially concluded this week. The department said more than 25,000 boys and girls successfully underwent initiation rites at over 500 registered schools across the province. Ramathuba expressed gratitude to the provincial initiation co-ordinating committee, senior traditional leaders and all relevant stakeholders. 'This year, under the guidance of the Customary Initiation Act, 2021 (Act No. 2 of 2021), the Limpopo provincial government, working hand-in-hand with traditional leadership structures, successfully facilitated the safe initiation of more than 25,000 initiates across the province,' said Ramathuba. According to the premier, the 2025 season saw the operation of 500 registered initiation schools with 350 male and 150 female, which adhered to strict regulations and safety measures. While a few illegal schools were identified, Ramathuba said swift interventions by law enforcement agencies and traditional authorities prevented further harm. Ramathuba also acknowledged that the season was marred by the deaths of two initiates. 'We mourn the loss of two young lives and extend our deepest condolences to their families. One death is one too many. As government, together with our traditional leaders, we remain resolute in our mission to ensure that no life is lost during initiation,' said Ramathuba. The first incident involved a 19-year-old initiate from Sekhukhune who died after experiencing severe complications and being admitted to hospital. In the second, a 12-year-old boy from Maake village outside Tzaneen, succumbed to injuries sustained during a fire that broke out at an initiation camp in the Mopani district. He was one of seven victims affected by the blaze.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- TimesLIVE
‘No life should be lost': Limpopo premier applauds safe rites for thousands and mourns two lost initiates
Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has commended the province's traditional leadership and stakeholders for the smooth running of the 2025 initiation season, which officially concluded this week. The department said more than 25,000 boys and girls successfully underwent initiation rites at over 500 registered schools across the province. Ramathuba expressed gratitude to the provincial initiation co-ordinating committee, senior traditional leaders and all relevant stakeholders. 'This year, under the guidance of the Customary Initiation Act, 2021 (Act No. 2 of 2021), the Limpopo provincial government, working hand-in-hand with traditional leadership structures, successfully facilitated the safe initiation of more than 25,000 initiates across the province,' said Ramathuba. According to the premier, the 2025 season saw the operation of 500 registered initiation schools with 350 male and 150 female, which adhered to strict regulations and safety measures. While a few illegal schools were identified, Ramathuba said swift interventions by law enforcement agencies and traditional authorities prevented further harm. Ramathuba also acknowledged that the season was marred by the deaths of two initiates. 'We mourn the loss of two young lives and extend our deepest condolences to their families. One death is one too many. As government, together with our traditional leaders, we remain resolute in our mission to ensure that no life is lost during initiation,' said Ramathuba. The first incident involved a 19-year-old initiate from Sekhukhune who died after experiencing severe complications and being admitted to hospital. In the second, a 12-year-old boy from Maake village outside Tzaneen, succumbed to injuries sustained during a fire that broke out at an initiation camp in the Mopani district. He was one of seven victims affected by the blaze.
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Deputy Minister Stan Mathabatha goes to initiation school at age of 68
Sources said Mathabatha is getting 'special treatment' at the initiation school. Former Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha at the Limpopo state of the province address (Sopa) at Jack Botes Hall on 29 February 2024 in Polokwane. Picture: Gallo Images/Philip Maeta Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development and former Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha is among thousands of initiates currently going through the important traditional rites of passage to manhood at an initiation school in Limpopo. The deputy minister is 68 years old. Mathabatha enrolled at initiation school Mathabatha's enrolment was confirmed by the Limpopo Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (PICC) on Friday. The committee's principal objective is to oversee the day-to-day operations of initiation schools in Limpopo. It is headed by Hosi Mudabula Chauke. 'We can confirm that Mr Mathabatha is one of our students in one of the initiation schools in Limpopo. But I am afraid we cannot dwell on the nitty-gritties of his enrolment,' said Chauke. ALSO READ: Limpopo initiate dies in hospital after having epileptic fit He, however, praised Mathabatha for going through the important rite of passage to manhood at his age. The Citizen can reveal that the deputy minister was admitted at the Mathabatha Initiation School in Tjiane Village, outside his homestead in Tooseng in the Mphahlele area of the Capricorn district municipality. '[Mathabatha's] admission should prove to those 'Doubting Thomases' that initiation schools must not only be associated with young boys and girls who have not yet reached puberty. It is for all people of 16 years and above, as recommended by the Act that governs [initiation] schools in this country,' Chauke said. Schools being monitored He also used Mathabatha's participation to stress that only initiates over the age of 16 and with a doctor's medical report will be enrolled in the koma schools. Former premier Stan Mathabatha is enrolled at an initiation school in Limpopo this season. Picture: Supplied. Chauke said government departments and police will be monitoring the initiation schools. 'This season we received a total of 569 applications for winter and summer initiation schools. Of these, we approved 529 applications – comprising 322 male and 208 female schools. Regrettably, 40 applications were declined due to non-compliance with Section 26 of the Customary Initiation Act (No. 2 of 2021).' He said reasons for rejection include pending litigation or court judgments, land jurisdiction disputes, leadership conflicts, incomplete documentation and traditional surgeons or caregivers with criminal records. ALSO READ: Limpopo's Rain Queen suspends initiation schools in 2025 Mathabatha getting 'special treatment' Sources in the village, who constantly visit the initiation school where Mathabatha is admitted, told The Citizen that Mathabatha is being given 'special treatment' at the school. 'He sleeps separately from other initiates in a special tent within the camp. He is served with a different meal, mostly goat meat and other protein and vitamin-rich [foods]. His security is also guaranteed. He has guards at the entrance and different corners surrounding the school,' said one of the sources. Another source, who also comes from Ga-Mphahlele, explained why Mathabatha is being treated differently from the other initiates. 'Remember, the former premier is no longer a young boy. He is aged. He can't, by tradition, perform the same errands, such as hunting and collecting firewood, the same way as young boys of 15 and 16 years of age. 'During his enrollment, he produced a medical certificate that described his medical records. Things like the type of food he must eat, his daily routine workout and the type of clothes he must wear may have been prescribed, hence the different treatment. But I can assure you, the man has been going through all the initiation rituals and attending all the modules like any other initiate,' said the source who asked not to be named. The ANC in Limpopo declined to comment, saying Mathabatha's admission at the school was personal and must be treated as such. 'It is like the doctor/patient confidentiality kind of thing,' acting ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) spokesperson Charl van Niekerk said on Thursday. NOW READ 'They will rue the day we crossed paths': Limpopo mayor threatens construction mafia after stalled projects
IOL News
02-07-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Shepherding change: Jeffrey Rakabe's memoir unveils the dark side of initiation rituals
Yet, the release of Jeffrey Rakabe's groundbreaking memoir, 'Led by Shepherds: An Initiate's Memoir", presses society to rethink the narratives surrounding these deeply ingrained customs. With winter here, the season of initiation is in full swing. For many, initiation marks the sacred transition to adulthood, steeped in tradition and expectation. In 'Led by Shepherds,' Rakabe, who entered the Koma (initiation lodge) at just twelve years old, offers a raw and unfiltered recounting of his harrowing journey. Surviving fourteen days without water while nursing wounds, he learned not merely to suppress pain but to endure a torturous experience that he believed would shape him into a man. 'The first week in the Koma lodge dragged on, each day blending into the next in a haze of thirst and longing for home. Somehow, I managed to survive fourteen days without a drop of water. I was desperate for relief, yet I never complained - clinging to a fragile sense of pride that felt like my only armour.' 'Home seemed like a distant dream. I was dirty and thin. Dust coated my hair. My belly was swollen and uncomfortable, a stark contrast to my thin frame. I could feel my body deteriorating as I lost weight. "Angry scabs covered my wound, the skin beneath inflamed and unhealed. Even the bitter black herb we were given, dubbed 'Coca-Cola', failed to provide relief,' he recalled. Yet, Rakabe's memoir transcends the typical coming-of-age story. Years later, as he delved into literature amidst the nurturing environment of the Johannesburg Public Library, he began to wrestle with the darker implications of his initiation. He questioned: 'As the country rightly focuses on preventing the physical deaths of young initiates, we must also ask: what ideas are being resurrected in their place?' His contemplation reveals how these initiation rituals often perpetuate toxic masculinity and silence boys, intertwining with the pervasive issue of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa. The memoir is resolutely both a personal testament and a significant social critique, calling upon traditional leaders, communities and policymakers to introspectively examine what is imparted within the mountains. Framed within the context of the Customary Initiation Act, Rakabe's story arrives at a crucial moment in SA, where cultural practices are under public scrutiny. Ultimately, this work is part memoir, part manifesto. It is a call for a new kind of manhood - one anchored in care, accountability and equity.
TimesLIVE
25-06-2025
- TimesLIVE
67 boys rescued, 14 illegal initiation schools closed in North West
As the winter initiation season starts, the provincial initiation co-ordinating committee (PICC) rescued 67 boys from illegal initiation schools at Bojanala Platinum in North West. It is believed bogus principals of the schools abducted them and demanded huge ransoms from parents. Deputy chairperson of the PICC, Andries Stemmer, said 'The PICC is inundated with calls from parents and police reporting cases of missing young boys believed to have been abducted by principals of bogus schools who demand a huge ransom from parents.' The committee closed 14 illegal initiation schools as they were not compliant with the Customary Initiation Act, which provides for effective regulation of customary initiation practices. 'During a recent oversight visit to Tigane near Klerksdorp, the committee uncovered serious noncompliance at two initiation schools operating without the required documentation. The schools were closed and cases were opened against the bogus principals, reinforcing the committee's zero-tolerance stance on unregulated initiation practices,' said Stemmer. Inspections are being intensified across the province after the incident. 'No school will be allowed to operate without proper documentation, and those found in violation will face legal consequences,' Stemmer said. He emphasised the importance of a collaborative approach with all roleplayers to ensure safe and dignified initiation processes. 'We urge all stakeholders, including traditional leaders, religious leaders, civil society and the media, to support the creation of a safe environment and stop bogus principals who want to commercialise the practice. Together, we can prevent malpractice and eliminate harmful misconceptions about the cultural practice. 'We support the national message 'A ba bowe ba phela', which means all initiates must return home alive. We are doing everything in our power to ensure initiates are under the good care of experienced principals', he said. In North West, 103 initiation schools were approved to operate in three districts, excluding the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district. For non-schoolgoing initiates, the initiation season started on May 9, and for schoolgoing initiates it will start on Friday. All initiation schools will close on July 18. The monitoring operation will continue until the schools are closed.
