Initiation deaths down in Limpopo
The Limpopo initiation school season has ended with no deaths reported.
A total of 269 initiation schools were approved in the province this year, compared to the 325 schools operating in 2016.
The Limpopo MEC of cooperative governance, Makoma Makhurupetje, says the season was not without its challenges.
"Achieving a zero percent death record this initiation season did not come easy. We experienced a variety of challenges where people were opening schools without following the correct procedures."
She says some school operators where opening schools under the wrong jurisdiction.
"We had instances were unscrupulous operators chose to open schools under the jurisdiction of a senior traditional leader who they did not pay an allegiance too. Nobody reported this until the department discovered it."
The House of Traditional Leaders' chief, Malesela Dikgale says there were no abduction cases.
"Everything was under control this year. One guy was abducted last year and the traditional leader he was taken to refused to accept him and we believe this is why there were no abduction cases this year," Dikgale says.