A 12-year-old initiate who was receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained during a fire that broke out at an initiation school in the Mopani district succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.
The boy was one of seven victims of a fire that erupted at an initiation school camp in Maake village outside Tzaneen last week.
According to Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Hlulani Mashaba, the police received a complaint regarding initiates burnt by fire at Maake initiation school. One of the injured was the 12-year-old from Thabina village who was burnt all over the body.
“It appears initiates were asleep in a shack room when the whole shack caught fire. The initiates were quickly removed and those injured were admitted at a nearby medical facility for treatment,” says Mashaba.
The 12-year-old succumbed to his burn wounds at a Gauteng hospital.
This brings the number of initiate deaths to two in Limpopo province since the start of the 2025 winter initiation season.
The first incident involved a 19-year-old initiate from Sekhukhune, who experienced severe complications and died on Sunday at a local hospital.
Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has ordered the MEC for co-operative governance to lead a formal investigation in collaboration with the department of health into both incidents.
“While the government is committed to honouring and preserving rich traditions and customs, it is equally bound by the obligation to protect lives. It cannot permit lives to be lost in the name of tradition. Such tragedies cast a negative shadow over the entire initiation ceremony, and rigorous measures must be undertaken to uphold its dignity,” said Ramathuba.
The premier said it was everybody's responsibility to ensure that all initiates are protected and safe.
Ramathuba has called all individuals entrusted with the oversight of initiates to exercise the utmost vigilance.
“Whether it is a principal of the initiation school, a traditional surgeon, or a senior traditional leader, they must recognise that the lives of these initiates are in their hands.
"We cannot allow the loss of life to occur under the banner of tradition,” she said.
TimesLIVE
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