Cape Town – An Eastern Cape family has had a sombre start to the New Year.
This is after they were ushered into 2022 with news of their son’s death at an initiation school in the Chris Hani District Municipality.
It brings the total number of initiate deaths to 12 in the municipality. According to the District Municipality, most of the recorded deaths are from Emalahleni Local Municipality with six deaths, four in Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality and two in Sakhisizwe local municipalities.
“We are saddened by the loss of lives as most of these deaths could have been avoided. Dehydration and ill health cannot be causes for the deaths of initiates while resources are available at our disposal. Let us save lives and collectively closely monitor Initiation schools to mitigate further eventualities. No initiate must be denied drinking water and medical attention, mabaye bephila babuye bephila!” said the municipality spokesperson, Bulelwa Ganyaza.
The recent death brings the total number of initiate deaths to 40 in the province for this initiation season.
The 2021 summer initiation season began on November 12 and runs until January 12, 2022.
IOL