Cape Town – Police are reportedly searching for Lindokuhle Debruin, an initiate in the Eastern Cape, Gqeberha, who disappeared without a trace after he left his hut to go and urinate hours before the start of his homecoming ceremony known as umgidi.
According to News24, the 21-year-old left his hut to urinate in the woods around 20:00 on Friday and never returned.
When his family went to his hut the next morning to take him home for umgidi, they were shocked to learn that he was missing.
The family conducted an extensive search in Greenbushes situated near the banks of the Geduld River along the N2 freeway but they had no luck in finding him.
ALSO READ: Oscar Mabuyane to interdict HAWKS probe, blames Magashule for investigation
After four days of searching, the Debruin family filed a missing person report with the Kabega Park police station.
A Herald Live report said Lindokuhle’s disappearance was shrouded in mystery as this was the second time he had gone missing from the initiation school, which he first started attending on November 19.
Police have urged anyone with information about the missing man’s whereabouts to contact SAPS Kabega Park Crime Office on 082 302 6159.
Meanwhile, City Press, reported over the weekend that at least 26 initiates had died in the Eastern Cape province since the current initiation season began on November 12.
The report said that 19 of the initiates had been at illegal initiation schools.
“We need an urgent provincial indaba on this matter, where all regions are represented to come up with a panacea to this crisis, because we’re burying boys every year. Now we have families who have to bury their sons for undergoing a practice that shouldn’t kill initiates if it’s done correctly and with great care by communities,” the report quoted Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane as saying.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: Twitter/@OscarMabuyane
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
