Pretoria, 29 June-(ANA)-A teacher at an illegal South African initiation school is expected in court on a murder charge this week, after a man was allegedly beaten to death.
General Morale's body was found hidden in bushes inside an initiation camp in North WestProvince on Friday.
The other initiates in the school told police the teacher often beat them since the school opened in May.
Initiates occasionally die after being circumcised but this is believed to be the first death from physical assault.
Circumcision is a tradition in some South African cultures and is seen as a rite of passage into manhood.
Last month, eight boys died after botched circumcisions in neighbouring MpumalangaProvince.
Police say they are concerned that more lives could be lost in the coming winter months, as this is the time when most circumcisions are done.
They say they are trying to crack down on the illegal schools but admit that this is a difficult battle to win
Initiation schools are required to register with the health department, which ensures teachers are trained on how to carry out the circumcisions and makes sure that proper health standards are met. (ANA)
UK/Houthis