Minister Velenkosini hlabisa: Customary All-Inclusive Stakeholder Dialogue

Programme Director, Deputy Minister Reverend Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe;
His Majesty King Makhosonke the 2nd, the Chair and Deputy Chairs of the NHTLK,
the President of Contralesa, Kgoshi Mokoena,
Director-General of the Department of Traditional Affairs, Mr Mashwahle Diphofa;
the Chairperson and members of the National Initiation Oversight Committee and the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committees;
Their Majesties and Royal Highnesses; esteemed traditional leaders; representatives from SALGA, the Justice Cluster,
Chapter 9 institutions and civil society;
distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf ot the government and the Ministry, colleagues on the virtual platform, thank you for answering the call to gather for this national, all-inclusive stakeholder dialogue on customary initiation at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre on 16 February 2026.

We meet as a united collective with a single purpose: to protect life and dignity while preserving a sacred rite of passage that is integral to our identity. Customary initiation is not merely a ritual; it is a journey from boyhood to manhood, anchored in discipline, responsibility, and respect. Its legitimacy rests on cultural authenticity and, equally, on safety and the rule of law. Our Constitution demands no less, and Parliament has given us a clear framework through the Customary Initiation Act, 2021, which establishes the National Initiation Oversight Committee and the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committees define the roles of all actors and regulate initiation schools.

The urgency of our task is undeniable and compelling. The Constitution, through the Bill of Rights, protects lives without reservation, ensuring that individual freedoms and rights are upheld. Over the past ten years, from 2016 to 2025, 669 initiation-related deaths and 124 penile amputations have been recorded nationally. These are not just statistics; they are lives lost and futures stolen, with grief etched into families and communities across our country. In the just-ended 2025 summer season, 48 initiates died nationwide, with the Eastern Cape and Free State recording the highest numbers. This outcome shames us all because it is largely preventable. Each time a young man fails to return home, a part of our collective future is dimmed. These tragedies cannot be attributed solely to culture; they also reflectHlabisa's negligence in how we address the safety and well-being of our youth. The only acceptable standard is this: "mabaye bephila, babuye bephila-let them go alive and return alive."

The law is explicit about what safety requires. Initiates must, at all times, have access to clean water, adequate sanitation, and food, and to healthcare whenever needed. Dehydration, septicemia and other avoidable complications must not be allowed to claim lives where early detection and timely referral can save them. These are not optional good practices; they are statutory obligations placed primarily on the principal and caregivers of registered initiation schools under section 30 of the Act.

The law is equally clear about accountability. Running a non-registered, or put differently, an illegal initiation school, admitting a boy under 16, or accepting any initiate without the required medical certificate or consent, are criminal offences that carry penalties of up to 15 years' imprisonment. These provisions must be enforced consistently and without fear or favour, in close coordination with the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority.

We have also strengthened the regulatory framework. Customary Initiation Regulations were promulgated in September 2025 to guide monitoring, inspections, investigations and the closure of non-compliant schools, and to clarify reporting and coordination requirements for the NIOC and PICCs. Implementation of these regulations must now be rigorous and uniform across provinces.

Data and experience point to two realities we must hold at once.

• First, illegal initiation schools remain a major driver of mortality and abuse. Parliament's own oversight shows that while the number of illegal schools has decreased, falling from 993 in 2022/23 to 259 in 2023/24 and to 229 in the 2024 winter season, with most concentrated in the Eastern Cape, too many still operate, and too many lives are still lost.
• Second, registration alone is not enough, because serious incidents also occur in some registered schools when monitoring is weak or protocols are ignored. Our response must therefore be two-handed: relentless enforcement to shut down illegal operations and uncompromising compliance oversight within the legal system.

We also know improvement is achievable. In recent seasons, some provinces recorded zero deaths, which is proof that leadership, coordination and accountability save lives. Our task is to replicate, at scale, the common features of success: active involvement of traditional leaders, functional local initiation structures, integrated health support, joint inspections, and community awareness that empowers parents to make informed choices.

Allow me to outline the strategic focus I expect us to adopt following today's dialogue.

• First, we must strengthen medical safeguards without ambiguity: thorough pre-admission screening; verified practitioner databases; clear referral protocols to designated health facilities; and the uncompromised provision of water, sanitation, nutrition and wound care. Performance indicators in hotspot districts must include zero amputations in legal schools and rapid-response rescue capacity where risk escalates.
• Second, we must enhance law-enforcement and accountability. Illegal schools must be identified and closed promptly; offenders must be prosecuted under section 33. The Justice Cluster must prioritise these cases so that consequences are swift and credible. Communities should be encouraged and protected when necessary, so that they are not afraid to report illegal sites and abductions, because safe initiation is a public-interest and child-protection imperative.
• Third, we must build the capacity of oversight structures. PICCs need the people, tools and budgets to register schools timeously, publish lists of legal sites for parental verification, and maintain round-the-clock monitoring during seasons. The new Regulations equip NIOC and PICCs to issue directives, conduct inspections and close non-compliant schools; those powers must be exercised decisively.
• Fourth, we must align and integrate through the District Development Model. Safe initiation cannot be delivered by one department or sphere of government. It requires One District, One Plans and One Budget logic that brings together Traditional Affairs, Health, SAPS, Justice, municipalities, disaster management, traditional councils and community organisations at the district level, with clear roles, targets and reporting. We will therefore incorporate safe initiation as a defined priority in the DDM "One Plans" for hotspot districts, with joint monitoring and escalation pathways.

Our expectations for today are concrete and time-bound. This dialogue must confirm risk-specific interventions for each hotspot district ahead of the 2026 winter season; assign lines of accountability; agree on a joint monitoring framework; and inform a National Safe Customary Initiation Intervention Strategy to drive implementation. The measure of our success will not be how eloquently we describe the problem, but whether by the next season we see a measurable, verified reduction in fatalities and severe complications, moving decisively toward zero.

The following is my plea to all stakeholders:

To our traditional leaders, as the custodians of this custom, your leadership is indispensable. Close illegal schools wherever they appear; hold principals, caregivers and surgeons to the standards of the Act; and work with us to ensure that every school remains a place of cultural pride and learning, not of mourning.

To parents and guardians, choose only registered schools and insist on medical pre-screening and humane care, including adequate hydration; myths that deny boys water and basic care have no place in a practice that honours life.

To the Justice Cluster and law enforcement partners: enforce the law without compromise.

To the NIOC and PICCs, publish the registers, intensify inspections, and act swiftly where non-compliance is detected.

To municipalities and disaster management structures, support operations in water, sanitation, and emergency services where required.

To Chapter 9 institutions and civil society, continue to hold all of us to account.

We did not gather here today merely for another discussion; we have come to draw an unequivocal line in the sand. It is imperative that our culture never becomes a refuge for harm concealed by silence, nor a space where responsibility is shifted from one institution to another. Let this dialogue serve as a pivotal moment, a turning point where words transform into resolute action, where mere alignment evolves into genuine coordination, and where every stakeholder stands united in choosing life, dignity, and unwavering responsibility above all else. From this moment forward, let our sons return home not only with their heads held high but also with their bodies thriving and their spirits invigorated, ready to uplift their families and serve their communities. As we commit to this profound change, let us carry the mantra "mabaye bephila, babuye bephila" as a testament to our collective resolve: that we choose life in all its fullness, a life rich in purpose, respect, and accountability. Together, we can forge a future that honours these values and protects our shared humanity.

I thank you.

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