Police in the Eastern Cape have arrested a 39-year-old man for allegedly raping an initiate.
The man is set to appear at the Centane magistrate’s court on Monday.
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According to police spokesperson warrant-officer Majola Nkohli, the alleged assault happened earlier this week.
“Police can confirm the arrest of a 39-year-old man today [December 27], after an initiate, 18, was allegedly raped in one of the initiation schools in Centane on Monday.
“The suspect is neither a traditional surgeon nor a nurse.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are forming part of the investigation,” Nkohli said.
The shocking incident comes as the number of initiate deaths in the province climbed to 27.
On Friday, co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Velenkosi Hlabisa was in the province visiting Butterworth where he condemned illegal initiation schools.
“We are now sitting at the figure of 27 initiates who have died during the summer. This is unfortunate.
“We condemn all the bad practices that resulted in such deaths.
“The bad thing that is being done, especially in illegal schools where they do not follow protocols, we want to condemn them,” he said.
Hlabisa strongly petitioned parents not to allow children to go to illegal initiation schools.
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The minister was speaking during a visit to Butterworth, in the Amathole region, which has had the highest number of deaths.
He went to convene gatherings with traditional leaders and other stakeholders in response to what he has labelled the crisis of initiate deaths.
