The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) in Limpopo says it has approved 530 permits for winter initiation schools for both males and females.

The initiation season in the province will commence on the 23rd of June until the 21st of July.

The department says 40 applications were rejected because they did not comply.

The government has put tighter measures in place for a safer and death free initiation season.

The measures include the vetting of traditional surgeons and principals.

MEC Basikop Makamu says they started issuing permits on Monday to applicants.

“322 for males have been approved and 200 something for females have been approved. We are ready, the initiation season will start from the 23rd of June to the 21st of July. We have prescribed how to vet and be able to follow somebody, looking at track record of such person and if we are not happy, we reject.”

One of the traditional surgeons who waiting for a permit to run an initiation school is Erick Nethonzhe.

He raised concerns around the processing of permits.

“We did the application but we are so worried about how the government helping us to do the application because they want us to go to the police station to check the criminal records for vetting and criminal records is not right for us because this is not our profession. Most of the applications is not going to go through just because of that vetting and all those things.”