Chief Baleni suspends initiation schools in Lurholweni communities until December 2024

• Your culture, my culture, one nation
• Arrests to be soon made to the perpetrators of violence
• Suspension of June initiation schools indefinitely
• Families might be forced to relocate

Following the unrest between Amaxhosa and Amazawa initiation houses that flooded the social media platforms for the past week in Bizana. Chief Baleni compelled members of the communities of Lurholweni to a meeting to rule out the final decision regarding the initiation schools. Community members came out in massive numbers on Friday the 11^th of August at the Faith Mission Apostolic church (Mzamba Casino Assembly). The community members were obeying the chief’s command and different stakeholders were present to convey a message of support following the crisis.

Stakeholders who were present;

• Council of Churches
• Mzamba Taxi Association
• The Department of Health
• South African Police Services
• Representatives from the local municipality
• The Department of Education
• Mbizana initiation Forum
• Tavern representative
• The Pastors fraternal representative

Chief Baleni called the imbizo (meeting) in order to stop the violence of young men beating, burning and vandalizing households to the point where one was killed and some reported missing.

The Mbizana men’s forum shared that fathers have failed because when meetings are called concerning their sons, they are always a no show, because they regard the practice as a just a boys’ club. Young girls were also blamed for being perpetrators of such violence by using social media wrongly posting things like “Bulala Zawa” (meaning kill Zawa)

“Mpondo men have stepped aside because they are not familiar with this culture however mothers have taken the baton to support premature men to go to unruly initiation schools, these schools seem to have lost the core values of manhood which are respect and honour” Pastor Ntentese

Pastor Ntentese also said if by any chance the unruly behavior is going to be fixed leaders need to fix the problem from its root cause.

Different stakeholders conveyed predominantly the same message that parents have a huge role to play in making sure that their children do not incite violence and they follow legal and health-regulated ways of initiation.

Amazawa and Amaxhosa initiators 

Manunu Mbhele who is renowned initiator in the AMahlubi (Amazawa) initiation school in Lurholweni said, they have failed to stop the shameful violence and promise it will never happen again. He added that they will support the chiefs’ decision to shut down until they go back to their sober senses. “initiation is not manhood rather a bridge to manhood, what these young men did is not a reflection of what we teach” said Manunu Mbhele

“We find ourselves in deep trouble because we had an idea that we know it all but we don’t, we ask the Lord to bless Afrika” said Ntethelelo Ntsethe speaking on behalf of Amaxhosa initiation school. Ntethelelo expressed great remorse and apologized saying, they have initiated kids from the age of fourteen making them men while they are still kids. He continued to say they have forsaken God by placing him at the backseat forgetting he is the main initiator.

 My culture, your culture one nation. – Nthethelelo Ntsethe

Chief Baleni

Chief Baleni said the children have disappointed them greatly they have now become a spectacle of the whole of South Africa and become victims of false journalism, as an empathetic person he said he was heartbroken to hear such tragedy has taken place.

A final verdict to combat the misfortune:

• Initiation schools suspended until December of 2024
• No headsman must allow any household hold to host an initiation ceremony (Umgidi)
• A cow will be paid by the household and the headsman should they not submit
• Non-submissive families will be forced to relocate to a different place
• June Initiation is indefinitely suspended even after the current suspension is lifted
• Only boys with identity documents will be authorized to go to initiation school come 2024
• Only the Lurholweni communities are suspended

The station commander of Mzamba police station said as the law enforcement they will enforce the law as the chief orders, they will make sure no initiation school operates until the suspension is lifted. He reported that five cases have been opened and an investigation is in an ongoing process arrest will be made soon to the perpetrators of violence.