LIMPOPO MEC for cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs Clifford Motsepe displayed good leadership when he took time off from his hectic schedule to visit initiates at a school in GaDikgale.
Motsepe was accompanied by traditional leaders and a Sowetan team when he visited the school to see for himself the conditions under which initiates were living.
Situated at Madiga village and led by principal Ranti Dikgale the school accommodates 918 initiates and is among the biggest in the province.
It has also attracted initiates from as far afield as Eastern Cape and Gauteng, who came to gain their passage to manhood. Found in their birth suits, the initiates ululated and sang to welcome Motsepe to the school.
Motsepe himself did not disappoint and sang along, even initiating some of the songs to indicate that he was also initiated at a mountain school. He also taught the initiates some of the rituals.
"It is encouraging to discover that you are enjoying your lives and your stay here. It is here that you will learn a lot of things and graduate to manhood thereafter," he said in addressing the initiates.
Motsepe also wished the initiates the best of luck going forward with their lives after graduating.
According to the MEC, Limpopo had initially issued 314 permits to traditional leaders to run initiation schools but two of them were later withdrawn due to the passing on of key personnel who were to conduct the two schools under the Mavambe Traditional Council.
Twenty-three applications were disapproved of because they did not meet certain requirements after it was found that applicants were applying to conduct initiation schools in areas that did not belong to them.
The province has enrolled a total of 15,926 initiates, with Sekhukhune registering the highest number of initiates at 6,841, followed by Vhembe at 3,114, then Capricorn at 2,683, Waterberg at 2,182 and Mopani at 1,106.
So far eight initiates had been hospitalised after they fell ill while undergoing initiation rituals.
Five of them were in schools in the Waterberg district while two were in Mopani and one in Capricorn.
"We expect all schools to wrap up their programmes before the commencement of the third school term on July 16," said Motsepe.
- frankm@sowetan.co.za
Motsepe teaches rite of passage rituals
LIMPOPO MEC for cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs Clifford Motsepe displayed good leadership when he took time off from his hectic schedule to visit initiates at a school in GaDikgale.
Motsepe was accompanied by traditional leaders and a Sowetan team when he visited the school to see for himself the conditions under which initiates were living.
Situated at Madiga village and led by principal Ranti Dikgale the school accommodates 918 initiates and is among the biggest in the province.
It has also attracted initiates from as far afield as Eastern Cape and Gauteng, who came to gain their passage to manhood. Found in their birth suits, the initiates ululated and sang to welcome Motsepe to the school.
Motsepe himself did not disappoint and sang along, even initiating some of the songs to indicate that he was also initiated at a mountain school. He also taught the initiates some of the rituals.
"It is encouraging to discover that you are enjoying your lives and your stay here. It is here that you will learn a lot of things and graduate to manhood thereafter," he said in addressing the initiates.
Motsepe also wished the initiates the best of luck going forward with their lives after graduating.
According to the MEC, Limpopo had initially issued 314 permits to traditional leaders to run initiation schools but two of them were later withdrawn due to the passing on of key personnel who were to conduct the two schools under the Mavambe Traditional Council.
Twenty-three applications were disapproved of because they did not meet certain requirements after it was found that applicants were applying to conduct initiation schools in areas that did not belong to them.
The province has enrolled a total of 15,926 initiates, with Sekhukhune registering the highest number of initiates at 6,841, followed by Vhembe at 3,114, then Capricorn at 2,683, Waterberg at 2,182 and Mopani at 1,106.
So far eight initiates had been hospitalised after they fell ill while undergoing initiation rituals.
Five of them were in schools in the Waterberg district while two were in Mopani and one in Capricorn.
"We expect all schools to wrap up their programmes before the commencement of the third school term on July 16," said Motsepe.
- frankm@sowetan.co.za
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