CUSTOMARY INITIATION: DRAFT REGULATIONS OUT FOR COMMENT

CUSTOMARY INITIATION: DRAFT REGULATIONS OUT FOR COMMENT

• 18 November 2024
• Safety and Security
• SA Legal Academy

Please note: 1) On 22 November 2024 the draft regulations were replaced and the deadline changed to 20 January 2025. 2) The final regulations were gazetted on 26 September 2025, when they came into force.

The Department of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs has called for input by 14 January 2025 on draft regulations under the Customary Initiation Act, 2021, which has been in force since September 2021. According to a memorandum on the objects of the 2018 Bill concerned, the Act’s overarching objective is to ‘protect, promote and regulate initiation’ by:

• setting ‘acceptable norms and standards’, and
• establishing the structures necessary to ensure that initiation takes place in a controlled and safe environment.

Once in force, the proposed new regulations are expected to facilitate the effective functioning of national and provincial committees established by the Act. To that end, the issues covered include:

• rules governing committee meetings, including attendance and members’ conduct
• assigning tasks to suitably qualified committee members, with completion timeframes
• procedures to be followed when inspecting, investigating and closing initiation schools
• assistance from traditional leaders
• appeal procedures
• reporting requirements, and
• ministerial directives.

Please click the links below for more information:

• draft regulations
• Government Gazette notice
• Act

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

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