Initiation forum 'sceptical' about initiate deaths

The forum tasked with curbing initiates deaths in Mpumalanga has reacted with scepticism to two confirmed deaths in the former KwaNdebele homeland.

Ingoma Forum‚ a group of medical doctors and health practitioners who have gone through the rite of passage‚ refused to comment on the deaths‚ in Kwaggafontein and KwaMhlanga‚ before postmortem results were released.

Provincial department of health's Musa Thugwana‚ who also chairs the forum‚ said they heard about the deaths but had no details.

• Death stalks initiation kraalsAt least two initiates are confirmed to have died in the rite of passage kraals of the former KwaNdebele homeland in Mpumalanga‚ barely a day after undergoing the sacred practice shrouded in secrecy. 

“We are sceptical because we do not have full details of what transpired in those cases. We can only comment once we have (postmortem) results‚” he said.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson‚ Brigadier Leonard Hlathi‚ said two cases of culpable homicide have been reported where initiates experienced complications that led to their deaths.

“The two victims were registered as initiates on the 25th of April at KwaMhlanga and Kwaggafontein. The 21-year-old young men met their demise the following day at health care centres‚ KwaMhlanga hospital and Kwaggafontein clinic‚ respectively‚” he said.

Msilingwa Mabena‚ spokesperson for Ndebele king Makhosonke Mabena‚ said unconfirmed reports were that the number of deaths had reached six but police would not confirm this.

"It is something that we hear‚ nothing concrete‚" Hlathi said.

Last week Sunday thousands of boys in the deep traditional area‚ about 100km north east of Pretoria‚ began their two-month seclusion to undergo Ingoma (initiation)‚ a sacred rite of passage that has been marred by fatalities. in 2013 thirty-one youngsters perished due to negligence and botched circumcisions. Most deaths were blamed on preventable complications‚ such as excessive bleeding and exposure to extremely cold conditions.

Concerned parents had pinned their hopes for the well-being and safe return of their children on the intervention of the forum.

TMG Digital/TimesLIVE