Authorities in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province have shut down an illegal initiation school in Jankempdorp after rescuing nine underage children from the facility.
The intervention, announced on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, followed a report received by the Northern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) on Friday afternoon. The Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (PICC) responded immediately and confirmed that the school was operating unlawfully.
Officials discovered nine minors at the site, including two girls aged 12 and seven boys between the ages of 15 and 17. Preliminary investigations revealed that three of the boys had already undergone circumcision.
The affected boys have been referred to hospital for medical examinations and assessments, while the remaining children are being cared for as authorities await the arrival of their parents or guardians, who have all been contacted. The illegal initiation school has been closed and a criminal case opened against its owner.
CoGHSTA condemned the operation of illegal initiation schools, particularly those involving children, warning that such practices endanger lives, compromise safety and dignity, and violate laws regulating customary initiation rites. The department urged communities, parents and traditional leaders to remain vigilant and report suspected illegal initiation activities to the authorities. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.