EAST LONDON - Twenty young men have died since the start of the 2025 initiation season in the Eastern Cape.
The OR Tambo District recorded the highest number of deaths, followed by Amathole.
13 of the deaths followed legal circumcisions, while seven were linked to illegal initiation schools.
Hundreds more boys have been treated for medical complications, with nearly 200 hospitalised.
Police have opened dozens of cases and arrested more than forty people.
Government vows to tighten oversight to prevent more deaths.