By David Matsena
George Ikaneng wanted to become a doctor. Instead, he died a terrible death at an initiation school.
Mourners at his funeral were told by his sobbing principal, Moeketha Molelekoa, that Ikaneng, 15, was among the top Grade 9 pupils at Leshata High School at the time of this death.
Ikaneng was one of the first four initiates who were beaten to death about 10 days ago at an initiation school near Heidelberg.
| 'Those people who are supposed to help them grow into men are the ones who kill them' |
"He was a great asset to our school. It is sad to lose such a brilliant young student," Molelekoa said.
"Now those people who are supposed to help them grow into men are the ones who kill them.
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"We are tired of this annual experience, and we must start changing the way we do things," he said, adding that no culture was above human life.
The funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners at the Orange Farm cemetery.
Six men appeared briefly in the Heidelberg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday in connection with the deaths of six initiation school candidates more than a week ago.
Four of the men - Elliot Makwena, 19, David Tsotetsi, 20, Thabiso Tsotetsi, 19, and Thebogo Ntjalma, 18 - were charged with four counts of murder each.
The fifth man, Mosito Abraham Naledi, 34, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the death of Papa Mbovane, who died on Monday after his family allegedly sent him back to the initiation camp in the hills near Ratanda, outside Heidelberg.
The case against the five was postponed until July 11 for them to obtain legal aid.
The sixth man who appeared, 54-year-old David Dladla, was arrested on Monday last week after the first dead initiation candidate was found.
Dladla will also appear in court on July 11, when he will apply for bail.
The body of the first dead candidate was found at an initiation school near Ratanda last Monday.
On Tuesday, at another camp, four more bodies were found and more than 50 boys were admitted to hospital for botched circumcisions, exposure and assault. - Sapa
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