Government officials in North West have told initiation school owners that they must register their schools before the 2026 summer initiation season, according to SAnews.
The National Department of Traditional Affairs and the North West Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department ran an awareness campaign in Mahikeng. The campaign focused on the Customary Initiation Act of 2021.
Under Section 26 of the Act, every initiation school must be registered. The government said this must happen at least three months before the initiation season begins.
“The law provides for standardised processes from the application for permits through the PICC (Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee), until the last phase when initiates return from the schools. This is done to deal with illegal and unregistered schools, and other unlawful activities that are key contributors to deaths, injuries and negligence in many instances,” said Andries Stemmer.
Stemmer is the deputy chairperson of the North West Provincial Initiation Coordination Committee. Stemmer spoke about the legal and health rules that schools must follow. The talk also covered how to report schools that break the rules, and the duties of everyone involved.
According to the government, the season starts on 6 November for initiates who are not at school. For school-going initiates, it starts on 10 December. All pass-out events must end on or before 8 January 2027.
Stemmer said traditional authorities must sign applications by law, but registration is done only through PICC structures. “This enables us to monitor the schools and ensure that all processes are above board,” Stemmer said.
The campaign brought together government departments, initiation practitioners, caregivers, parents and young people who plan to attend initiation. The government said the goal is zero deaths and zero illegal initiation schools.
According to SAnews, Mahikeng has been named as one of the hotspots for illegal initiation schools. Cases there have included the kidnapping of children, fronting and gangsterism.
Mamelani Tshabalala spoke for the Mahikeng Initiation School Committee. Tshabalala called for more community involvement, especially when problems come up at schools.
Tshabalala said the committee has seen learners who went through initiation bullying learners who have not. “We therefore make a call to parents to assist the Department of Education in instilling high-level discipline at home and to become involved in the affairs of their children,” Tshabalala said.
“We cannot build a future generation of leaders on a baseline of lawlessness and violence,” Tshabalala added.
Abram Sithole, secretary of the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, said local traditional leaders have a duty to protect culture and customs. Sithole asked for more talks between older and younger generations.
“Let us transfer indigenous knowledge through intergenerational engagements to share wisdom and ideas; this is how we can find each other. It is important to openly address critical issues such as gender-based violence and femicide and substance abuse that fuel problematic societal behaviour,” Sithole said.
The meeting agreed that all role players share the duty of keeping customary practices safe. The summer initiation season opens on 6 November.
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.