The North West House of Traditional Leaders on Sunday said that it has suspended all winter initiation schools and “related activities” as a measure to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chairperson of the North West House of Traditional Leaders, Kgosi Moshe Mabe, said the decision was taken to avoid putting the lives of the initiates and that of the entire community at risk.
“In light of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, which led to President Cyril Ramaphosa declaring a 21-day national lock down, the North West House of Traditional Leaders has taken a decision to suspend all initiation schools and related activities, until further notice,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
“It is common knowledge that the country is battling with the outbreak of COVID-19, which continues to spread at an alarming rate. It was against this background that we requested the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs to impose a suspension on the start of initiation schools for the upcoming winter season.”
