JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng government has warned customary initiation schools to register on its database or face the possibility of imprisonment for running non-registered institutions.
The government extended the closing date for applications to 24 November after only receiving 80 applications. Earlier in 2023, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs launched the national initiation oversight committee. The body acts as a watchdog to see that all initiation schools in the country are formally registered and compliant with regulations.The goal of the committee is to decrease the high number of deaths and injuries at initiation schools.
Gauteng COGTA spokesperson Mary Martins: "The committee calls on the relevant departments, law enforcement agencies, and traditional leaders to increase both preventative and consequence management efforts to end the unnecessary carnage of young men and women during illegal initiation school practices. Every effort must, therefore, be made to ensure safety of the initiates and to prevent injuries and deaths during these customary initiations.