W. Cape government seeks legal action against unlicensed initiation schools

Officials from the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport have filed criminal charges under the Customary Initiation Act of 2022 against four traditional initiation schools in the Western Cape.

These schools, situated within the Cape Town Metro in Nyanga, Gugulethu, Philippi, and Khayelitsha, face charges filed at Philippi East and Lingelethu West police stations.

The Customary Initiation Act mandates the registration of all customary initiation schools with the relevant provincial department, outlining the registration process. However, the four schools failed to adhere to this process.

Officials served notices to each site, stipulating a two-calendar day closure period, in accordance with the Act. Regrettably, despite these notifications, the schools did not comply. Consequently, criminal charges have been filed against them under the Customary Initiation Act.

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, in collaboration with partners from the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness and various municipalities, organized training and information sessions in October and early November 2023 for cultural practitioners involved in customary initiation schools. Notably, the four schools in question did not attend these sessions.

Anroux Marais, Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, emphasized the department’s commitment to ensuring the safe return of young men from this crucial rite of passage while upholding cultural values. Minister Marais commended officials for their diligence in closing these schools, highlighting the province’s dedication to lawfulness and the well-being of its young men. In the pursuit of a zero-death initiation season, illegal customary initiation schools will not be tolerated, concluded Minister Marais.

Each year, dozens of initiates die of dehydration, botched circumcisions or other causes. The issue remains an ongoing cause for concern within the Xhosa community.