JOHANNESBURG - The winter initiation season death toll has risen to 48, raising renewed concerns about the safety of traditional initiation practices.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Deputy Minister Zolile Burns-Ncamashe says Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape account for the highest number of deaths.
Mpumalanga has recorded 18 fatalities, while the Eastern Cape has reported 14, meaning the two provinces account for more than 70 percent of all deaths recorded during the season.
Burns-Ncamashe says authorities are also concerned about a rise in fatalities in the North West province, as well as reports of abductions linked to initiation practices in Gauteng.
He adds that the proliferation of illegal initiation schools in the Free State remains a major challenge.
While other provinces have recorded relatively few incidents, Burns-Ncamashe stressed that every death is one too many and that no fatality associated with initiation is acceptable.