Gauteng police are probing the deaths of two boys at illegal initiation schools in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. The boys were among 138 children kidnapped in Gauteng between May 2 and June 14, taken to eight unauthorized initiation schools. The first death occurred on June 8 at Spaarwater, near Duduza, Ekurhuleni, followed by the second on June 10 in Cullinan, Tshwane. Kiba Kekana, spokesperson for the Gauteng Provincial Initiation Coordination Committee, revealed that the causes of death are still being investigated. Rescued boys have been returned home following medical assessments.
Authorities have arrested the principals of illegal schools in Garankuwa, Mashimong, Cullinan, and Witpoortjie, but four others remain at large. The schools are described as being run by “initiation mafias” who extort families and deter them from involving police.
The winter initiation season officially began on June 15, 2024, aligned with the school holidays, ending on July 8, 2024. The Gauteng Provincial Initiation Coordination Committee has sanctioned 99 schools for legal initiation, including 89 for boys and 10 for girls. Kekana stressed that any initiation schools operating before June 15, 2024, were doing so illegally.
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