The North West Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (PICC) has rescued a group of 25 boys who were found at an illegal initiation school near Lonely Park village in Mahikeng.
The boys were reported missing by their parents two weeks ago. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Media Relations Officer, Thebeetsile Keameditse, told Newsnote that the boys were found following a deepened overnight search by various stakeholders.
“The PICC has roped in the South African Police Service, with the use of a K9 unit and other stakeholders to help track and rescue the young boys who have been missing for over a week. The boys are from Tsetse, Ramatlabama and other neighbouring villages. The rescue mission came after an intensified night search by PICC members and some initiation school principals, following a tip-off by residents in the village. Initially the number of initiates was 11 and overtime the number increased to 25,” said Keameditse.
The department said that the boys were lured into attending the illegal initiation school at Tsetse village outside Mahikeng.
“The bogus principal has been changing locations in the bush for the past two weeks to avoid arrest. The main culprit and a few others who were overseeing this illegal initiation school, are on the run and we appeal to them to hand themselves over to the police,” appealed Keameditse.
In addition, the Media Liaison Officer said that the department is concerned about the growing number of illegal initiation schools in the province and the abduction of young boys cornered to these schools without the consent of their parents and/or legal guardians.
“This rescue brings a total number of initiates who have been rescued, since the beginning of the winter initiation season to 115. The extensive monitoring operation to ensure compliance with Customary Initiation Act of 2021, will continue until the last day of the winter initiation season which is the 18th of July 2025,” remarked Keameditse.
Meanwhile, PICC Chairperson Kgosi Godfrey Gasebone has confirmed that several other illegal initiation schools were shut down across the province since the start of initiation season.
“Fourteen of them, illegal initiation schools, we shut down in Bojanala Platinum, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, and Ngaka Modiri Molema Districts with 67 male initiates rescued.
“These schools were not compliant with the Customary Initiation Act of 2021, which provides for the effective regulation of customary initiation practices,” said Kgosi Gasebone.
