Limpopo aiming for zero deaths during initiate season

A total of 272 initiation schools in Limpopo have been approved for this year’s season.

Chairman for the provincial House of Traditional Leaders Kgoshi Malesela Dikgale made the announcement during a briefing in Polokwane on Thursday.

This year’s initiation season in the province is expected to from June 24 until July 17 with thousands of initiates taking part in a rite of passage meant to usher them into adulthood.

Dikgale said out of 294 schools which had applied for registration‚ only 22 had not been approved.

Schools are approved on their submission of a certificate of fitness‚ an environmental report and a letter from the local traditional council‚ among other things.

Dikgale urged parents to authenticate the legitimacy of the school before taking their children there.

“There will be zero tolerance to people who want to take chances by running initiation schools without permits. We will work with law enforcement agencies to prevent the unnecessary loss of young lives‚” he said.

Sekhukhune had the highest number of approved schools with 110‚ followed by the Waterberg district with 79 and Capricorn which registered 40.

In recent years Limpopo has been praised for its successes in maintaining a low death rate among initiates as compared to provinces such as the Eastern Cape.

Last year Limpopo reported two deaths.

Dikgale said they would continue to work together with traditional leaders‚ government and the families of initiates in order to achieve a zero death initiation season this year.

- SowetanLIVE