Pretoria – At least 43 males have died during the summer initiation season, newly appointed cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister David van Rooyen announced on Tuesday.
Speaking during his first media briefing since being appointed on Sunday night, Van Rooyen said the department was extremely concerned about the “mushrooming” of illegal initiation schools in the country.
“Parents and guardians should ensure they send their young men to registered initiation schools and they must ensure these shcools must abide by the rules and regulations of the department,” he said.
The majority of deaths occurred in the Eastern Cape where 30 initiates died, followed by the Free State with six deaths, the Northern Cape with three, the Western Cape with two and Gauteng and the North West province with one death each.
African News Agency
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