MALAMULELE - The initiation school at Nkabela in Malamulele area, which was operating illegally, was closed late last week.

The 109 initiates who attended the school were rushed to the Malamulele hospital for a checkup and it was reported that all initiates were in a good condition after being removed from the circumcision school.

When Mirror visited the hospital on Friday, we found out that some of the initiates who had been admitted were boys of only five years old. Due to the lack of space at the hospital, two initiates are sharing one bed. The initiates also need some clothers.

A traditional healer and headman were arrested for operating the illegal initiation school and were released without bail. It is alleged that they failed to follow the bylaws for establishing a circumcision school. Permits were issued and authorised by the premier, in terms of the Northern Province Circumcision Schools Act of 1996, but this school did not comply with the requirements.

All traditional leaders had been invited in January to apply for the permits before June 18, but some of the traditional leaders ignored the premier’s requirements, a spokesperson for the police said.

At this stage, the premier has issued 258 permits to traditional leaders to operate initiation schools within the Limpopo Province. All initiation schools are liaising with institutions such as the Department of Health and Welfare, Municipalities, SAPS, the Premier’s Office and other relevant departments.

The advisor to the Premier’s Office on the issue of initiation schools, Chief Setlamorago Thobejane, said that it is true the initiation school was operating illegally. That is why they decided to take the initiates from the school and arrested those people who were operating without a permit issued by the Premier.