Limpopo governments approves 500 permits for winter initiations

The department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Limpopo says it has approved 530 permits for winter initiation schools for both males and females.

The initiation season in the province will commence on the 23rd of June until the 21st of July.

The department says 40 applications were rejected because the applicants did not comply.

The government has put tighter measures in place for a safer and death free initiation season.  The measures include the vetting of traditional surgeons and principals.

MEC Basikop Makamu says they started issuing permits on Monday to applicants. “322 for the male has been approved two hundred and something for the female have been approved we are ready the initiation school will start from the 23rd of June to the 21st of July so we have prescribed how to vett and be able to follow somebody look track record of such person and if we are not happy we does reject.”

One of the traditional surgeons who are still waiting permits to run initiation schools is Erick Nethonzhe.

He raised concerns on the processing of the permits. “We did the applications but we are so worried about how the government helping us to do the application because they want us to go to the police station to check the criminal records for vetting and criminal records is not right for us because this is not our profession this for ancestors most of the applications is not gonna go through just because of that vetting and all those things.”