Initiation school forced to close

THE Mutele Traditional Council has appealed to the Limpopo government to take action against a circumcision surgeon who abandoned initiates,leading to the circumcision school to be closed.

Head of the council Edward Mutele made the call after the traditional surgeon at Madimbo took off with money, leaving the initiates in the lurch.

Local traditional leader Julius Nemadimbo said the action by the surgeon had plunged the community into confusion.

"Normally when the school is closed, there must be a ceremony and everything must be done with dignity," he said.

But when the school was closed, initiates were left stranded.

"Instead of sending them to their homes, the traditional authority has sent them to their place of safety where they are being treated," said Nemadimbo.

And Mutele said normally when a traditional school is closed, the community must welcome the boys with a big ceremony.

"And everything must be burnt and people passing by the area must not see any indications that there was a school," he said.

But when Sowetan and members of the tribal council visited the area, they found heaps of wood and clothes littered all over the place.

A task team led by the Limpopo government also visited the area onWednesday.

The chairperson of the task team on initiation schools, Vusani Netshimbupfe, said the government was studying the report of the task team before deciding on the next step.