A 72-hour reaction plan has been activated following the murder of three initiates at a Tsomo village in the Eastern Cape at the weekend.
They were found dead at Jojweni on Saturday morning with gunshot wounds to the upper body.
Boys, who had taken food to them, alerted the parents when they didn’t respond.
Police Spokesperson Khaya Tonjeni says a task team is already searching for the suspects.
Three murder cases are being investigated.
#sapsEC #SAPS Tsomo request info to assist in a murder investigation of 3 male victims who were found fatally wounded inside a traditional initiation hut in Jojweni on 02/01. They were last seen alive on 01/01. Phone Capt Rheeders on 0824418602. SWhttps://t.co/C7h1G31it2 pic.twitter.com/xN0R1ldatA
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) January 3, 2021
To date, 10 initiates have died this season.
Traditional Affairs Department spokesperson Mamnkeli Ngam says the motive for the killing is unknown at this stage.
“Two of them are 20-years-old and one is 19-years. At the moment the police are still investigating the reasons for this gruesome murder of initiates, and the provincial commissioner has instituted a task team to report to her within 72-hours with a view of trying to unearth the reasons for this gruesome murder.”
The summer initiation season officially commenced in the Eastern Cape late in December last year as caution was raised over sharp increases of COVID-19 cases in the province.
In the video below, the Congress of Traditional Leadership of South Africa said it would ensure that all initiation schools will implement strict COVID-19 protocols to avid any casualties:
