JOHANNESBURG, July 14 — A total of 35 young men undergoing initiation rites have died during South Africa’s 2026 winter customary initiation season, according to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa.
Hlabisa said on Monday that preliminary data collected as of July 12 showed that 58 illegal initiation schools had been identified, 42 of which had been closed, while 180 initiates had been rescued and 75 hospitalized.
“These figures are deeply concerning and serve as a stark reminder that much more must be done collectively to eliminate preventable deaths, injuries and criminal activities associated with customary initiation,” Hlabisa said.
Customary initiation is practiced by several communities in South Africa as a rite of passage from boyhood to adulthood, often including traditional circumcision and cultural instruction at initiation schools.
Previous government reports have linked initiation-related deaths and injuries to botched circumcisions, dehydration, infections, assault and poor health and safety conditions, particularly at illegal schools.
Hlabisa condemned the operation of illegal initiation schools, saying they undermined the integrity of customary initiation and were linked to deaths, injuries, abductions and abuse.
Javu Baloyi, spokesperson for South Africa’s Commission for Gender Equality, on Tuesday expressed concern over the proliferation of illegal initiation schools. Baloyi said some illegal schools had become profit-making operations, with young men abducted and their families later asked to pay for their release.
He called for a multi-sectoral approach involving law enforcement agencies, health authorities, traditional leaders and communities to curb illegal initiation practices. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
