Cops rescue 19 initiates

2008-04-02 08:02

East London - Nineteen boys were rescued from an Eastern Cape initiation school on Tuesday, said police.

Captain Mduduzi Godlwana said the 19 boys found at an initiation school in Mgodini were all in a serious condition.

"We received a tip-off that more initiations were continuing in the area and when we arrived at the illegal school we found the boys.

"The nurse from the school fled from the scene and all the boys were taken to Holy Cross Hospital for treatment," he said.

Police were working in conjunction with the Department of Health to sort out the problem as many young boys were dying.

"These illegal initiations are giving us a big problem especially during this time of year when the children are on holiday.

Septic wounds

"We are working hard to find the people responsible and arrests are expected soon," Godlwana said.

Police were investigating cases of murder.

Four boys rescued from initiation schools died on Sunday because of dehydration and septic wounds, said the provincial health department on Monday.

Spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said that in a joint ongoing operation which started on Friday, 87 boys were rescued from illegal initiation schools in Tsolo, Libode, and Flagstaff.

Kupelo appealed to communities, parents, and the entire province to report illegal initiation schools to police and the department to help save lives.

A permit for each boy

"These schools were illegal because the department was not involved. We have to grant permits for circumcision."

The department was required to grant permits for each boy to be circumcised, after he had undergone medical preliminary examinations to ensure he was fit enough.

The department granted permits to traditional nurses to take care of the boys during the process.

"We also deploy health officials to these schools to ensure there will be no negligence during the circumcision process," said Kupelo.

He pleaded with the province to support the department's efforts to curb unnecessary deaths and complications during the traditional process.

- SAPA