The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) has urged law enforcement agencies to arrest whoever was involved in the recent abduction and torture of 40 young boys in North West. Last week, police in the province rescued the boys who were kidnapped and taken to an initiation school against their will after receiving a tip off.

Contralesa President Kgosi Lameck Mokoena expressed shock and disappointment that there were still initiation schools that take boys against their will. "What makes it even more disturbing is that those young boys were severely beaten. Contralesa condemns this barbaric action by those perpetrators, in particular those abductors and the owner of the school. Contralesa calls upon our law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in tracing and arresting the owner of the school and those abductors," said Mokoena.

Mokoena insisted that the law must take its course and pleaded for severe punishment for those responsible for the abduction and mistreatment of the young boys. Traditional authorities said the growth of illegal initiation schools has become a great concern. " They made it a business. Some tell the children that they will get money if they bring another child with them. So, these children end up kidnapping others and taking them to initiation schools without their parents' consent," Kgosi Godfrey Gasebonwe, another traditional authority, explained.