The deaths of 9 boys at initiation schools in the Eastern Cape has raised concern as Parliament proceed to conduct oversight visits in the province.
Since the beginning of the initiation season on 17 June, 9 boys have died.
The deaths have been accounted for at initiation schools in the King Sabatha Dalindyebo, Mhlontlo and Ngquza Hill native municipalities.
The National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has since referred to as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to prioritise the prosecution of circumstances referring to illegal initiation schools.
“The committee is interesting to the NPA to make sure that those that break rules on initiation face the may of the legislation.
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“Furthermore, the committee wants the parents of illegal initiates to be under the spotlight of the law enforcement agencies to ensure that they too face consequences for their role,” the committee’s chairperson, Fikile Xasa mentioned in a statement on Thursday.
Xasa mentioned the committee’s main concern was the well being and well-being of the initiates as nicely as the prevention of additional deaths.
“The committee was knowledgeable that in the outskirts of Mhlontlo Municipality persons are unable to entry the services as a end result there’s incidence of loss of life of initiates.
“The total number of deaths of initiates that has been verified and confirmed is nine. In the Mhlontlo Local Municipality six initiates have died, in the King Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality two initiates have died and one died in Ngquza Hill Local Municipality,” he mentioned.
Customary Initiation Act
The committee beforehand revealed that there have been 66 authorized initiation schools whereas 68 others have been working illegally in the OR Tambo District Municipality alone.
“The committee was also informed that the closure of illegal initiation schools was complicated by the fact that there are no hospital beds available for the initiates that are rescued from these illegal schools and that the erstwhile rescue centres are no longer operational due to the Covid-19 pandemic and depletion of resources,” Xasa identified on Wednesday.
“The Customary Initiation Act is obvious on what motion must be taken towards illegal schools. They must be closed down and the committee expects conventional surgeons and nurses who’re a part of these illegal schools to be arrested and charged.
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“The committee is clear that law enforcement agencies should not tolerate any lawless behaviour from communities that protect illegal traditional surgeons and nurses,” the committee chair added.
In addition, the police have made eight arrests and opened 21 circumstances for the present season.
Approximately 31 boys died in the Eastern Cape in the course of the summer time initiation season, which run from December 2021 till 12 January 2022.
At the time, the Eastern Cape authorities insisted that it had finished the whole lot it may to stop such incidents, and shifted the blame for the deaths to the victims’ mother and father.
Limpopo loss of life
Meanwhile, an eight-year-old boy, who died days after his admission to an initiation faculty in Modjadjiskloof, Limpopo, was buried final Sunday.
The boy, Thabang Sedutla of Makhurupetsa Village was enrolled at a Sepatake Koma faculty in the Modjadjiskloof space of Bolobedu with the consent of his mother and father.
Sedutla supposedly developed respiration issues and died just a few days later on the Kgapane Hospital.
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However, the initiation faculty the place Sedutla died continues to be working, regardless of guarantees by the Limpopo authorities to close it down.
Limpopo MEC for cooperative governance, human settlement and conventional affairs, Basikopo Makamu and his entourage visited the bereaved household and promised that his division would construct them a home and he’ll work intently with the Mopani municipality to construct them a rest room.
*Compiled by Molefe Seeletsa, further reporting by Alex Japho Matlala