A Limpopo woman whose child died after suffering severe burns at an initiation school that caught fire said she was not aware that her son was there until she got a call from a caretaker at the school.
Mamodike Matsebatlela said the last time she saw her son, 11-year-old Thuso, on Sunday he was playing on the streets, and when she did not see him again for a while she thought he was in the neighbourhood with his friends.
But Thuso had somehow ended up at the initiation school in Maake Village, outside Tzaneen, which went up in flames the same day. He and other initiates were rushed to hospital but his burns were so severe that he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.
“I got a call that my son had been booked into an initiation school,” Matsebatlela said. “I can’t confirm that he was coerced, but all I know is that there is peer pressure among his friends to undergo initiation rituals.
“I was not given any document to sign on his behalf. Later on, I heard from other villagers that there was a blaze at the initiation school.”
Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Hlulani Mashaba said police were “gathering any information that could lead us to the cause of the fire. If there was any negligence or any wrongdoing, the culprits will be brought to book.”
Eighteen initiates managed to flee without injuries but six others, along with a caregiver, sustained serious burn wounds.
It is our collective responsibility to ensure that all initiates attending these schools are protected and safe
— Dr Phophi Ramathuba, Limpopo premier
Matsebatlela said her son was initially admitted to Letaba hospital, but due to the severity of his wounds, he was taken to a private facility in Tzaneen. He was later transferred to Barberton hospital where he died on Tuesday.
“While I was doing all the runaround alone, seeking medical attention for my son, the department [of co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta)] was nowhere to be found. Even after the incident, there is still no communication from relevant authorities, let alone psychosocial support,” she said.
Matsebatlela said “the principal of the initiation school never bothered to contact me, and to this day, he never said anything”.
Limpopo Cogta spokesperson Amos Phago said: “The initiation school was legal. If that was not the case, the department wouldn’t be running around trying to intervene.”
Another initiate, Raymond Sekele, 19, died at Philadelphia hospital in the Sekhukhune district on Sunday. It is understood that Sekele was receiving medical treatment for epilepsy during his admission at an initiation school in Dennilton, outside Groblersdal.
Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba said it was heartbreaking that such promising young lives had been cut short.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that all initiates attending these schools are protected and safe. We call upon all individuals entrusted with the oversight of these young men to exercise utmost vigilance,” she said.
Meanwhile, Cogta MEC Basikopo Makamu said the department has urged all traditional leaders and school operators to enforce safety regulations diligently to prevent similar tragedies.
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