The 2025 Summer Initiation school season officially commenced on 13 December 2025 for school -going initiates. Initiation schools for non-school going initiates started on 25 November 2025 A total number of 319 applications have been received for the 2025 summer initiation season. 107 applications for male initiations schools and 125 for female initiation schools were ultimately approved.
All summer initiation schools must end on 14 January 2026. Meanwhile, in order to allow sufficient time for the processing of applications, the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (PICC), hereby calls on prospective customary initiation school principals to apply for permits to operate in the upcoming 2026 Winter itiation season. Applications are open for both male and female initiation schools.
On the 10th of October 2025, the PICC resolved to issue dates for the opening and closing of 2026 winter initiation applications as per the Customary Initiation Act of 2021. As such, the PICC hereby calls on Initiation School Principals who wish to partake in the 2026 winter customary initiation to apply for permits.
The applications process will be conducted in three (3) phases and in five (5) regions in Gauteng, namely: 1. City of Tshwane 2. City of Ekurhuleni 3. Sedibeng4. City of Joburg 5. West RandOperation Dates for the 2025 Winter Initiation Season:Initiation schools for initiates not of school-going age:Will operate between 1st of May to 20th July 2026.Initiation schools for school-going children:Will operate between the 27th of June to 20th July 2026.
Initiation Schools will be hosted between June 2026 to July 2026. According to section 27. (1), initiation must be held during the relevant provincial school holidays and may not interfere or overlap with official school terms. In the light of the above, the opening and closing of the winter and summer Initiation season in Gauteng will follow school calendar.
Definite dates for the opening and closing of initiation school will be communicated in May 2025. Application forms can be accessed from CoGTA’s offices at 15 Marshall Street, Johannesburg or website: https://www.gauteng.gov.za/Departments/
DepartmentDetails/CPM-001002 , traditional offices and the following municipalities: City of Joburg, City of Ekurhuleni, City of Tshwane, Sedibeng District and West-Rand District Municipalities as well as their constituent local municipalities. Any school person who-holds a non-registered initiation school or is involved in any initiation practices at such non-registered initiation school accept initiate who is under the age of 16.accept an initiate at an initiation without receiving required medical certificate or consent form is guilty of an offence and liable for on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 15 years or to both a fine and such imprisonment.
A person who forces any person to attend an initiation school or who forges any consent form or obtain such consent by means of duress will be guilty of an offence and liable for on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years or to both a fine and such imprisonment.The initiation school that commences before or beyond school holidays will be suspended to hold initiation and will be found guilty of an offence and will be liable upon conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years or both a fine and such imprisonment as per provision of section 33(4) of the Customary Initiation Act.
The committee calls on the relevant departments, law enforcement agencies and traditional leaders to increase both preventative and consequence management efforts to end the unnecessary and preventative carnage of young men permanently. Every effort must therefore be made to ensure safety of the initiates and to prevent death from becoming normalise.
ISSUED BY THE GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS
