Health department outrage at initiation school deaths

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Ten initiates have died in the Eastern Cape since the beginning of the winter initiation season.

Provincial health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo says the latest death occurred in the early hours of Monday morning at Ncise village in Mthatha.

Another boy died over the weekend near Cathcart, with four other deaths previously recorded in the Mthatha area, one in the Tsolo district and the remaining three occurring at Libode, in the Ngqeleni area.

Kupelo says the department is extremely concerned at the element of criminality involved in this social tragedy, as one of the boys had clearly died from assault wounds.

"The police and other relevant state organs need to do their part, in fact it would be a good thing to consider opening up special courts. There are people who continue to disregard the law, and if the act does not bite then the laws of the country should then apply, especially when there is clear evidence of wrong doing on the part of those who are behind such killings." says Kupelo.