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Call for institutional oversight at initiation schools as Eastern Cape death toll passes 25

Call for institutional oversight at initiation schools as Eastern Cape death toll passes 25
Lisakanya Venna
By Lisakanya Venna
26 Dec 2024
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‘It is a result of criminality’ — Eastern Cape bogus initiation schools, torture and dehydration allegedly claim lives of initiates.

The Eastern Cape’s summer initiation season has ended the festive period on a tragic note, with at least 27 initiates losing their lives at various initiation schools due to dehydration, physical molestation and torture. This comes after 34 young initiates died during the initiation season earlier this year.

Read more:Eastern Cape summer initiation season ends with 34 deaths

Nkosi Gwadiso, the Chairperson of House of Traditional Leaders in the Eastern Cape, spoke to Daily Maverick about what he believes to be the cause of death of most initiates.

“The cause of death is dehydration. Initiates do not drink water as they believe that it will regress their healing process,’’ he said.

Gwadiso added that this misconception had unintended consequences.

“When initiates choose not to drink water, it unfairly implicates traditional nurses, who are responsible for their care, making it seem as though they are the ones denying the initiates water.”

Sharing a similar perspective, the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa Secretary-General, Zolani Mkiva, told Daily Maverick that new initiates may be influenced by false information passed down from previous initiates, leading them to believe that drinking water was not allowed. However, Mkiva said that those responsible for the initiates’ care should prevent the spread of such misinformation, and he expressed skepticism about the claim, stating that he “smells a rat”.

“Out of the 20 reported, I can confirm from my sources on the ground that seven of them from the OR Tambo Municipality died due to dehydration, physical molestation, and showed injuries that indicate that they were beaten and tortured. It is a result of criminality,” Mkiva said.

‘Institutionalise traditional initiation schools’ 


Mkiva also emphasised the need for the government to institutionalise traditional initiation schools and to dedicate an annual budget, like other departments.

“The budget would assist in the registration process… the enrolment process, the healthcare check-ups also in place, and also monitoring. Vehicles are needed, you need boots on the ground, people who are going to be doing the monitoring, but you also need people who are going to be able to monitor, to actually operate drones for areas that are difficult to reach.

“There are poor households, so the issue of food on the mountain also needs to be taken into account, because children go there, they need to eat healthy food. The children get sick there, whether in winter or in summer, so you need medication in place. Lastly, the issue of security — the police have to be there on the ground, and those resources are required to provide security so that the children can be safe in the mountains,” Mkiva said. 

Extortion controversy 


In a related development, the issue of extortion in traditional initiation schools of the Eastern Cape has sparked controversy. While the Eastern Cape’s Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Eastern Cape House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders have acknowledged reports of extortion in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Nkosi Gwazinamba Matanzima, the Chairperson of the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee, has disputed these allegations, citing a lack of formal cases being opened and witness testimony. 

However, Mkiva also touched on how threats of extortion added fuel to the blazing fire of criminality in this traditional process.

Mitigation strategies


The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has advised the following guidelines to ensure a safe and successful traditional initiation process:

  • Initiates must be given water before, during, and after the initiation process.

  • Parents are advised to choose reputable and legally recognised traditional initiation schools in their area.

  • Initiates must undergo medical check-ups at healthcare facilities before attending the traditional initiation, and parents must disclose any pre-existing health conditions.

  • Parents of children with disabilities must make the necessary arrangements to accommodate their child’s needs during the initiation.

  • Male family members are encouraged to regularly visit the initiates to ensure they are being well treated.


As part of efforts to address this recent surge in initiation-related deaths, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, is scheduled to visit the Amathole District Municipality, which is among the districts that have experienced the highest number of initiation deaths, on Friday, 27 December 2004. DM

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