The government will now screen initiation school operators for criminal records and discourage the use of alcohol in the mountain, while imposing stiffer sentences on illegal operators.

Early last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the long-awaited Customary Initiation Bill into the Customary Initiation Act (CIT) which was gazetted on Friday. It is hoped that will tighten screws and bring order in the troubled rite of passage, which has seen many initiates lose their lives because of botched circumcisions...