Ramaphosa urges vigilance against fake initiation schools

The president was delivering the eulogy at the Royal House of the amaMpondo Kingdom during the funeral of the late Amapondo King Zanokuhle Sigcau on Tuesday.

"We appeal to traditional leaders and elders here and all over the province to be watchful as the initiation season begins, because this is the time when we lose many of our young people at the initiation schools."

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"We should not allow a situation where young men leave their homes, walking on their two feet and coming back as corpses to their homes."

Illegal initiation schools were ordered to shut down, after 34 initiates died in the Eastern Cape last year.

"So that we can save lives and preserve the integrity if this very important age-old practice and tradition," said Ramaphosa.