EASTERN CAPE – Illegal initiation schools, fraudulent registrations and dehydration were among the key concerns raised during an oversight visit by the Eastern Cape Legislature’s Ad Hoc Committee on Customary Male Initiation in the Alfred Nzo District.

The committee concluded its two-day oversight visit on Friday, 10 July after engaging stakeholders in the Mzimvubu Local Municipality on measures to curb fatalities during the 2026 winter initiation season and strengthen safety and compliance.

The visit follows the deaths of seven initiates reported since the start of the winter initiation season.

During the briefing, the committee heard that dehydration and septic wounds remain the leading medical causes of initiation-related fatalities.

Members also heard that these deaths are often linked to broader challenges in the initiation sector.

Stakeholders identified illegal initiation schools, unregistered traditional surgeons, fraudulent medical certificates and disputes within traditional leadership structures as some of the key challenges undermining oversight and compliance.

The committee also heard that authorities had introduced a revised registration process after uncovering widespread fraud involving medical certificates used to register boys who were medically unfit for initiation.

Despite these challenges, committee members commended law enforcement agencies and community forums for their role in rescuing initiates from illegal schools, reporting suspicious activities and assisting in action against unlawful initiation practices.

“We are here to confront a crisis as one life lost is too many. We are also pleased with the cooperation of the stakeholders that we work with as community forums have become our eyes and ears on the ground,” said committee chairperson Mlibo Qoboshiyane.

Qoboshiyane appealed to parents, particularly fathers, to play a greater role in protecting their children by ensuring they attended only registered initiation schools.

“Parents must not falsify age declarations or send their children to illegal schools. The safety of our children starts at home.”

He also warned that some children leave home without parental consent to attend initiation schools, highlighting the need for greater parental vigilance.

Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC Zolile Williams extended his condolences to the families of the seven initiates.

Williams said dehydration was responsible for the seven deaths and also raised concerns about initiates with chronic medical conditions being prevented from taking their medication while at initiation schools.

“When you understand certain things should not have been done, that resulted in this loss of life. This seven has suffered dehydration. Secondly, stigmatisation, where some of the initiates were not allowed to bring their chronic medication to the initiation school resulting in weakness and death.”

Williams said the province had strengthened its registration system for the 2026 winter initiation season and confirmed that 18 people had been arrested for attempting to circumvent the process.

“There are also scammers who have tried to avoid the system. So far, we have arrested 18 people, seven is already imprisoned and the other 18 are still being investigated.”

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