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Fire burning
A second initiate has died in Limpopo.
The 12-year-old, who was a victim of a fire incident at an initiation school at Maake outside Tzaneen, has succumbed to burn wounds in a Gauteng hospital.
The initiate had been transferred from a hospital in Limpopo to Gauteng.
Earlier this week, another 19-year-old epileptic initiate died in the Philadelphia Hospital in Dennilton.
Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba’s spokesperson Thilivhali Muavha says that she has expressed sadness at the deaths of the initiates.
“The Premier of Limpopo Dr. Phophi Ramathuba has expressed profound shock and deep sorrow at the tragic news that two initiates have lost their lives in separate initiation schools in the province since the commencement of the 2025 initiation season. The first incident involves a 19-year-old initiate. The second tragedy occurred in the Mopani district where a 12-year-old boy who was a victim of an accidental fire that broke out in the camp last week.”
During the initiation season last year, Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa emphasised the need for a radical plan to curb deaths at initiation schools throughout the country.
Initiation Season | Initiation deaths still a concern:
