Authorities have visited various initiation schools throughout the province.

Over 40,000 initiates are expected to undergo the ritual this season.

The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs says illegal initiation schools in the province are thriving more than legal ones.

"Our findings are that generally in most of the schools they are illegal. Some traditional surgeons are not registered," said Fikile Xasa.

"That was our biggest problem. The illegal schools were more than the legal ones. Some boys have already died.

"The law itself that we were following up on is not understood by everybody - customary initiation act. The structures that have been established do not know how to enforce the law."

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