Initiation Season | Concerns over Eastern Cape initiate deaths

JOHANNESBURG - The Department for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Eastern Cape says 20 initiates have died during the winter initiation season so far.

This is a sharp increase to the 11 deaths recorded during the same period last year.

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COGTA says it is concerned by the unscrupulous behaviour of traditional surgeons in the province where reports of illegal schools have surfaced.

Some involved in the practice say there are ways of preventing the loss of lives.