Police probe initiate’s death at Eastern Cape initiation school

Police can confirm that an Inquest docket was opened after a 16-year-old initiate died at the initiation school in Mdantsane.

Police can confirm that an Inquest docket was opened after a 16-year-old initiate died at the initiation school in Mdantsane.

Published Nov 29, 2022

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Cape Town - Police in the Eastern Cape are investigating the death of a 16-year-old initiate at an initiation school in Mdantsane last week.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said the probe is ongoing.

“Police can confirm that an Inquest docket was opened after a 16-year-old initiate died at the initiation school in Mdantsane on Wednesday, 23 November 2022.

“At about 10am, police were summoned to an initiation school near NU-16 in Mdantsane after a 16-year-old initiate was not responding. Moments later, an initiate was declared dead at the scene. The name of the deceased is being withheld until all the protocols with regards to the initiation are adhered to,” Nkohli said.

This is the first death recorded in the province since the start of the 2022 summer initiation season.

Contralesa General Secretary Zolani Mkiva said the initiate had health complications.

“The initiate was taken for a medical examination before going to the initiation school. Upon examination, the doctors at the hospital found that he is diabetic. But even though the initiation school were aware of the medical results, they went through with the process. It was after he was initiated that he had complications. This means then that there was negligence on the part of that initiation school.”

“This is a very anxious period for us. The main problem for us is the illegality and the criminality of some initiation schools,” he said.

Cape Times

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