/ 1 January 2002

77-year-old initiate’s bruised body exhumed

The body of the 77-year-old initiation candidate from the North West who died over the weekend has been exhumed, police said on Tuesday.

Captain Keaobaka Moses said police exhumed the body of Simeon Bosbok on Monday and were awaiting the results of a post-mortem.

Moses said that although police initially suspected Bosbok had died from septic circumcision wounds, this was not the case.

The man’s body was, however, badly bruised on his back, down his buttocks and behind his thighs, Moses said.

Police on Monday arrested the principal of the Madibogo village initiation school near Mafikeng, and charged him with murder and illegal possession of a firearm.

Up to 12 initiation candidates were also removed from the school that same day and taken to a local clinic. They were all suffering from septic circumcision wounds.

Police visited another unlicensed initiation school in the area on Monday but found all seven initiation candidates there were in good health.

Moses said police were due to visit another three unlicensed schools on Tuesday.

Police would not, however, be closing down any schools as school closure was in the hands of the provincial health department and the local tribal leader, Moses said. – Sapa