Commission for the Promotion of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Commission) says the disappearance of 17-year-old Ntando Ngozo at initiation school in December last year is receiving the necessary attention.
The commission says part of its upcoming independent investigative mechanism, known as the Section 7 Committee, to investigate the deaths and ensure accountability for any violations linked to the initiation season will include the disappearance of Ngozo.
Ngozo of Boitumelo township in the Vaal disappeared after travelling to an initiation school in Poortjie, near the N1 and Sebokeng, to assist incoming initiates with traditional singing.
CRL Commission Deputy Chairperson Prince George Mahlangu says, “The Section 7 investigation would then also include the Ntando Ngozo matter and it will be one of the first parts of our hearings, so that we can get to the bottom of the story working together with various stakeholders, including SAPS (South African Police Service) to ensure that one we don’t jeopardise the current investigation, but two we unearth perhaps information that might be helpful to this investigation.”
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Ngozo’s family has welcomed the inclusion of his disappearance in the Commission’s probe.
Family spokesperson Thomas Maseko says, “The Ngozo family has welcomed the decision of the CRL to investigate the disappearance of Ntando. The family believes this decision acknowledges the broader public interest in the matter and provides an opportunity for the circumstances surrounding Ntando’s disappearance to be examined alongside broader concerns relating to the regulation, oversight and safety of initiation practices in South Africa.”
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