North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng, has commended police officers for their swift intervention that led to the safe return of a young boy who had reportedly gone to an initiation school without his parents’ consent.
The incident unfolded in Lekubu Village in the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality after concerned parents sought assistance from the MEC regarding their child’s whereabouts. Following the complaint, police were alerted and responded promptly, locating the boy and ensuring his safe return home.
According to the department, the learner had gone to the initiation school of his own accord. However, his parents had not granted permission for him to attend, and concerns were heightened by the fact that schools are currently conducting midyear examinations.
Morweng used the incident to urge cultural initiation practitioners to comply with the provisions of South Africa’s Customary Initiation Act, which requires informed consent from parents or legal guardians before minors undergo the initiation process.
The MEC said many young boys attend initiation schools due to peer pressure and stressed the importance of obtaining parental approval before admission.
“Yesterday I got a call from parents in the area of Zeerust, raising concerns that their children had gone to initiation schools without their consent,” Morweng said.
He noted that regulations governing initiation schools clearly require parental consent and said he immediately engaged police in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District to investigate the matter.
Police subsequently visited the initiation school in the Lekubu area and collected the children concerned.
Morweng also appealed to parents to remain vigilant during the winter initiation season, traditionally a period when initiation schools are most active.
He urged parents to ensure that initiation schools are compliant with legal requirements and to cooperate with the task team established by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to regulate the practice.
“It is important for parents to contact me and to contact the police whenever they suspect activities of this nature,” Morweng said.
He added that authorities would not tolerate initiation schools operating unlawfully, noting that lives have been lost in previous initiation seasons across South Africa due to unsafe and illegal practices.
The MEC said preserving the cultural significance of initiation schools requires adherence to legal and safety standards and called on parents to take an active role in safeguarding their children during the winter season.
Traditional initiation remains an important cultural rite of passage for many South African communities. In recent years, however, government authorities have strengthened oversight of initiation schools in response to fatalities, injuries and reports of illegal operations, with legislation requiring registration, monitoring and parental consent for minors participating in the process.