By Thapelo Molefe
The death toll from the country’s summer initiation season has risen to 41, highlighting the deadly risks young men face in the name of cultural tradition.
Across the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, and Western Cape, families are grappling with tragedy, while authorities scramble to enforce safety and accountability in a practice steeped in secrecy and long-standing cultural significance.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa said that most fatalities result from dehydration, often compounded by misinformation passed down to initiates.
“Many boys are told not to drink water to ‘heal faster.’ This is false and dangerous. If a young man goes without water for weeks, he cannot survive,” he said on Tuesday.
The minister painted a stark picture of the realities at some initiation schools, describing cases in which young men returned with severe injuries or amputations due to unregistered and incompetent traditional surgeons.
“Parents choose who conducts the initiation. If they select someone unqualified, they are putting their child’s life at risk,” Hlabisa said.
Families across the Eastern Cape, where 21 deaths have been recorded, are mourning sons who were promised a rite of passage but instead met tragedy. In the Free State, 15 deaths have been reported, including boys whose parents falsified their ages to allow them to attend the ceremonies before turning 18.
“There is no culture that permits a 12- or 13-year-old to graduate to manhood. It is a crime, and we are taking action,” said Hlabisa.
The government has arrested parents and initiation school operators, and plans to establish localised courts to ensure cases are processed swiftly. Hlabisa warned that going forward, parents will be held criminally responsible for sending children to illegal schools or unregistered practitioners.
To prevent further deaths, authorities are intensifying monitoring efforts during the current summer season, with teams patrolling schools and municipal officials overseeing compliance.
Officials are especially vigilant during New Year celebrations, when alcohol and negligent practices increase the risk of dehydration and accidents.
Looking ahead to the winter initiation season next year, the government plans to deploy drones to identify illegal schools operating in remote and forested areas, aiming to increase oversight in previously inaccessible locations.
“This is about protecting lives. Every death is preventable,” Hlabisa said, appealing to fathers, uncles, and male guardians to take responsibility.
“The tradition of initiation must not become a death sentence.”
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