By Levy Masiteng
As millions of public-school learners returned to classrooms on Tuesday, a Hammanskraal mother was still waiting for her 16-year-old son to come home from an initiation school.
Kgomotso Raphetane, of New Eersterus View, disappeared from the Bra Happy Initiation School in New Eersterus on 6 July, according to his family and police.
More than two weeks later, his whereabouts remain unknown. His younger brother, who attended the initiation school with him, returned home on Saturday.
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Police have opened a missing-person case with the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit and said investigators were following all leads.
For Kgomotso’s mother, Pauline Raphetane, the return of her younger son was overshadowed by the absence of his brother.
“I just want to know where my child is,” she said.
Raphetane had expected to welcome both of her sons home after their initiation but was able to embrace only one.
Questions about what happened to Kgomotso have intensified following claims by Happy Mhlongo, the owner of the initiation school, during an interview with Kasi Lifestyle Podcast.
Mhlongo, known as Bra Happy, alleged that several unusual incidents occurred before Kgomotso disappeared.
He said an initiation school master woke those at the school at about 2am and instructed them to pray without explaining why. When questioned, the man allegedly apologised and left.
Mhlongo claimed that a monkey appeared at the school two days later and was chased away.
He also alleged that the same initiation school master was later found behind the school at about 2am and said he had been patrolling the area. According to Mhlongo, the man could not explain why he had not told anyone else that he was going on patrol.
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Mhlongo further alleged that shortly before Kgomotso disappeared, the teenager soiled himself while sleeping and continued to do so while being escorted outside to relieve himself.
The allegations were made during the podcast interview. Police have not publicly confirmed whether they form part of the investigation or whether investigators have established any connection between the incidents and Kgomotso’s disappearance.
Mhlongo has separately said a baboon was seen near the initiation school in June, an incident he said had shocked those at the school. Baboons have historically been associated with witchcraft or supernatural activity in parts of Southern Africa.
Mhlongo said Kgomotso disappeared while initiates were collecting firewood. According to an account given to the family, other initiates called his name twice and heard him respond, but received no answer when they called a third time.
The teenager’s disappearance has drawn attention to the safety of initiates as the winter initiation season winds down after dozens of deaths, hospitalisations and rescues from illegal schools.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) said earlier this month that preliminary reports from provincial initiation coordinating committees showed that 43 initiates had died during the 2026 winter season.
The deaths included 18 in Mpumalanga, 14 in the Eastern Cape, four in North West, three in Limpopo and two each in Gauteng and the Free State.
Twelve abductions were recorded, and 58 illegal initiation schools had been recorded, 42 of which had been closed.
Cogta said 180 initiates had been rescued and 75 hospitalised. Three assault cases and one injury had also been recorded.
Police had opened 150 criminal cases and arrested 40 people.
“These figures are deeply concerning and serve as a stark reminder that much more must be done collectively to eliminate preventable deaths, injuries and criminal activities associated with customary initiation,” Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said.
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Hlabisa called on parents and guardians to ensure that children attended legally registered initiation schools and that traditional surgeons and nurses were properly authorised.
“Parents should remain actively involved throughout the initiation process and report any suspicious or illegal activities to the relevant authorities. Parental neglect and the failure to verify the legitimacy of initiation schools place young lives at unnecessary risk,” he said.
The Customary Initiation Act requires initiation schools to be registered and provides for inspections, oversight and enforcement against those who operate outside the law.
“Respect for tradition must go hand in hand with respect for the law and every initiate’s constitutional rights to life, dignity and safety,” Hlabisa said.
“Every initiate deserves to return home safely and with their dignity intact. This requires all of us to play our part.”
