The Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Obed Bapela, has condemned who he said were irresponsible people operating illegal initiation schools.
Bapela said that the national death toll during the current initiation season stands at 16, with 14 of those deaths in the Eastern Cape.
Deputy Minister Bapela says a "national crisis is looming" and called on all stakeholders to work together to preserve a cultural heritage from being hijacked by criminals.
The Deputy Minister also commended the fast intervention of Gauteng Social Development MEC, Faith Mazibuko, who together with members of the Meadowlands Zone 7 community rescued about 19 boys from an illegal school on the hills of Meadowlands on Friday the 03rd of July 2015.
The youngest was 11 and had been abducted by unscrupulous criminals that also intended to extort money from unsuspecting parents for the safe passage of the young boys.
The Province of Gauteng has the highest number of illegal schools with a total of 22 that have been closed down and 89 initiates have been rescued since the start if the initiation season on the 20 of June 2015.
"The rescued boys were physically abused and starved for two weeks whilst some were scarred with hot soft porridge," said MEC Mazibuko.
The intervention of the MEC resulted with the boys being referred for medical intervention as a result of septic wounds and botched circumcision.
