The death toll during South Africa’s 2026 Winter Customary Initiation Season has risen to 43, prompting Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to call for stronger collaboration to end preventable deaths and illegal initiation practices.
According to preliminary reports, 18 deaths were recorded in Mpumalanga, 14 in the Eastern Cape, four in North West, three in Limpopo, two in Gauteng and two in the Free State.
Authorities have also recorded 12 abductions, 58 illegal initiation schools, 180 initiates rescued, 75 hospitalisations and 40 arrests linked to 150 criminal cases.
“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.
The Minister urged parents to ensure initiates attend only registered schools and warned that those operating illegal initiation schools would face the full force of the law.
“Every initiate deserves to return home safely and with their dignity intact. This requires all of us to play our part,” he said.
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