Iziphathimandla eNorth West zivale izikole ezingu-14 zokusoka ezingekho emthethweni zahlenga abafana abangu-67 njengengxenye yomkhankaso omkhulu obubhekiswe kumasiko angaphephile. Ukuvalwa kuyingxenye yemizamo ebanzi phakathi nenkathi yokuqalisa yasebusika yaminyaka yonke yokuphoqelela uMthetho Wokuqala Wesintu, ogunyaza ukubhaliswa okufanele, ukuhlolwa kwezokwelashwa, kanye nemvume yabazali.
I-Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (PICC), kanye ne-SAPS kanye noMnyango Wezokubusa Ngokubambisana Nezindaba Zomdabu (CoGTA), benze ukuvakasha kokuqapha ukuze kuqashwe ukulandelwa kwamazinga omthetho ezinqubo zokusoka. Phakathi nalokhu kuhlola, bathola ukwephulwa kwemithetho—okuhlanganisa odokotela abangaqeqeshiwe, izindawo ezingaphephile nokuntuleka kosizo lwezokwelapha—babopha nothishanhloko bezikole.
USihlalo wePICC, uKgosi Godfrey Ramosetlho Gasebone, ukugcizelele ukuthi iningi lesenzo esingekho emthethweni siqhutshwa umhobholo, abashayeli bezimoto bexhaphaza abazali ukuze bathole imali. Uxwayise ngokuthi izingane zisengozini futhi ngezinye izikhathi zithunjwa ngaphandle kolwazi lomndeni wazo noma imvume. Okudabukisayo ukuthi izikole ezingekho emthethweni zihlobene okungenani nokufa kwabantu ababili muva nje, izigameko ebezingagwenywa ngaphansi kwemibandela elawulwayo.
Ngemuva kokuhlengwa kwabo, abafana baphuthunyiswe emitholampilo yasendaweni nasezibhedlela ukuze bahlolwe futhi banakekelwe. Izikhulu zinxusa imiphakathi ukuthi ilekelele ngokuthi ibike uma kukhona okusolakala ukuthi kukhona ukusoka ukuze kuvikelwe abafana abancane ekulimaleni. Iziphathimandla zizibophezele ekutheni zizoqhubeka nokuqinisa umthetho ukuze ziqinisekise ukuthi zonke izikole zokusoka ziyahambisana nomthetho.