INITIATES and their leaders attacked police trying to serve a court order stopping the Ndzundza tribe's chiefs from conducting initiation schools.

INITIATES and their leaders attacked police trying to serve a court order stopping the Ndzundza tribe's chiefs from conducting initiation schools.

Ngwenyama Makhosana Mabena, of the Manala tribe in Mpumalanga, obtained a court interdict preventing 11 chiefs of the Ndzundza tribe, who live on Manala land, from running their initiation school.

Sources said the Manala tribe planned to hold initiation classes next year but the Ndzundza tribe was intent on holding initiation classes this winter.

Captain Fikile Mtsweni of the KwaMhlanga police said officers had escorted the sheriff of the court to Zakheni village to serve the local chief with a court order - prohibiting him and other chiefs from staging initiation rites in the area this year.

Mtsweni said initiates and their leaders, who had gathered at their chief's kraal to prepare for the school the next morning, had attacked the sheriff and police and damaged a police van.

Eleven Ndzundza chiefs from Vezubuhle, Zakheni and Lithuli villages have been served with notices to appear in the North Gauteng high court on June 4 for contravening the order, she said.

lPolice removed the body of an initiate who died at a school in Vezubuhle village at the weekend.

Mtsweni said the police were called to the school on Saturday and found the body of an unidentified initiate.

"He had no visible injuries except for the circumcision wound," Mtsweni said.