Police in the Eastern Cape have arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with the alleged rape of an 18-year-old initiate at an initiation school in Centane.
Provincial police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli, confirmed that the man was arrested on Friday.
Nkohli said the incident occurred on December 23 at one of the initiation schools in the area.
He said the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
“The suspect is neither a traditional surgeon nor a nurse,” Nkohli said.
He said the suspect is expected to appear in Centane magistrate's court next week Monday, December 30, facing a charge of rape.
Meanwhile, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Velenkosi Hlabisa visited Butterworth in the province, on Friday, to have an emergency ministerial meeting regarding the deaths of initiates.
Hlabisa‘s meeting follows the tragic deaths of 27 initiates in the province during this year’s summer initiation season, which is currently in its fourth week.
The initiates died before they could fully complete the traditional rite of passage to manhood.
Over the past years, the province has been experiencing a surge in deaths of initiates at initiation schools.
The province consistently records high deaths of initiates, with illegal initiation schools run by unregistered practitioners contributing significantly to the problem.
This has raised concerns about the safety and regulation of initiation schools in the province.
Most of the fatalities are reported to have been caused due to medical complications arising from botched circumcisions and dehydration.
More than 10 young men lost their lives during the June - July winter initiation season.
IOL News