My hell at initiation school
'We were treated like animals'
IN PAIN:
The
feet of an initiate who escaped death in Botshabelo, Free State.
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- Taxi driver kidnapped and forcibly circumcised
- Boy (11) dies at school of initiation
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- Rising death toll from initiations
- Initiations start
- Families welcome Basotho initiates
- 'King's bodyguards beat up man'
- Outlaw forced marriages, urge maidens
- Back off our culture - Zulu virgins
AN INITIATE who escaped death when four others were killed at an illegal initiation school has revealed the "horrendous" conditions they lived under, including the daily assaults they suffered.
Thapelo* told Sowetan how they were severely assaulted daily and denied food by people who were meant to turn them into "real men".
Thapelo, 19, is hiding at a relative's house after he was released from hospital. He fears he might be killed because he had not finished his "initiation programme".
Sowetan met an inmate with bandaged feet, who said he had sustained the injuries ion a beating at the bush school.
Four suspects have appeared in court twice in connection with the death of four initiates who were severely assaulted.
"We were treated like animals, and denied food," Thapelo said.
"We were assaulted for nothing.
"Those people are cruel and heartless.
"When they assaulted a person next to you, you could feel the pain in your heart.
"I will not forget that I saw an initiate being kicked and assaulted. He collapsed and his attackers also used sticks all over his body. That night he could not stand on his own. He was rolling all over and I was scared he was going to die.
"The following day another initiate told me the boy was dead. He said he had tried waking him up but he did not move.
"I then became worried about my safety," said Thapelo.
*Not his real name
- This article was first published in the printed newspaper on 12 July 2012
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Memme
Akga shame - This is so cruel.Report Abuse
QueenTT
Why do parents still send their children to initiation school???It has lost its meaning so it must come to a stop!!!
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imd
AN INITIATE who escaped death when four others were killed at an illegal initiation school.......................................................
yhu so nobody knew they illigal mara???
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Troublemaker12
Those people are cruel and heartless...................................................................
so true how can one do such a thing to another human? eish some peolple are not human beings nxa!!!
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Rakgadi-Tabeya
Ke bo-primitive fela this thing of going to the bush coz u want to be a real man. Stupi, stupid, stupid!!!!Report Abuse
CharlesTaylor
Niyalunga, rubbish!!!!!Who told you that being beaten and assaulted by someone makes you a man? If you are not a real man you are not, doesn't matter if you attended these stupid mountain schools or not.
Anyway, it's all Sis Angie's fault. Why don't build classrooms for these mountain schools.
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Tsek
i dont feel sorry for all the idiots who goes to initiation school at all, fack all ya!!Report Abuse
Cl!ck
I don't understand why women are commenting on these issues.. *Talk about lost cultural souls*.. NxReport Abuse
dimpho_4U
"We were assaulted for nothing.-------------------------------------------
Thapelo.. I'm sorry for the agony..
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Marquez
Thats why my boys will never set foot there, I'd rather have a half-man than a dead oneReport Abuse
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