Overview
- Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa announced the toll in an interview on state broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
- Parents and initiation schools are accused of ignoring safety requirements, and authorities report numerous arrests.
- The rites, practiced among groups including the Xhosa and Ndebele, combine circumcision with instruction in adult social roles.
- Ceremonies typically take place in rural areas far from health facilities, increasing medical risks for initiates.
- Registered initiation schools have been regulated since 2010, and efforts to shift procedures to clinics have seen limited uptake, with 38 deaths reported in 2024 and 28 the year before.