# The death toll from the 2026 winter initiation season has risen to 48, with Mpumalanga recording 18 deaths and the Eastern Cape 14. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs deputy minister Zolile Burns-Ncamashe says authorities are also concerned about rising fatalities in North West, reports of initiation-related abductions in Gauteng, and the spread of illegal initiation schools in the Free State. He says every initiation-related death is unacceptable, and calls for stricter enforcement to protect initiates.
Winter initiation deaths climb to 48