Call for long jail terms for initiation deaths

A non-profit organisation wants a minimum sentence of at least 20 years for those found guilty of “crimes committed in the name of traditional initiation”

Mount Ayliff – The Community Development Foundation of South Africa (CODEFSA) on Thursday called on the South African government to enact legislation setting a minimum sentence of at least 20 years for those found guilty of “crimes committed in the name of traditional initiation”

In a statement, CODEFSA, a non-profit organisation working to curb the deaths of initiates in the Eastern Cape, welcomed the conviction and sentencing of six men this week in connection with the death of Lungile Nqwaba, a young man who died at an initiation school in Ntsizwa, Mount Ayliff in 2014.

“While CODEFSA welcomes the court judgment which will go a long way to serve as a deterrent for future perpetrators of killing of initiates, we believe that the sentence was too light for all those who were implicated in the killing of Mr. Nqwaba,” it said.

“AS CODEFSA we believe that a minimum sentence of 20 years would have been a suitable sentence for these criminals who killed an initiate.”

Five of the men, including the principal and owner of the initiation school at which Nqwaba died, were sentenced to five years imprisonment on Monday. A sixth man will spend six years behind bars.

CODEFSA said it was seeking legal advice on whether it could appeal and have the sentence overturned.

“We call upon the national government to fast-track the passing of the legislation that will impose a minimum sentence of 20 years for all people who are the perpetrators of botch traditional circumcision including assaults and deaths of initiates.”

Every year, dozens of boys die from botched circumcisions and beatings, mostly at unregistered initiation schools in South Africa.

African News Agency

* Use IOL’s Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.