KHANJINGWE Xaki of Matatiele came to the Eastern Cape to attend an initiation school in his grandfather’s Ezitapileni village.
19-year-old Khanjingwe grew up in Johannesburg and because of his age, it was time to go to the mountains like every young Xhosa man.
His grandfather, Fanavele Xaki, said Khanjingwe was looking forward to the day he would be called a circumcised man.
“He looked happy and he was also happy about the fact that he was attending a legal initiation school. We were proud of the moment when we would see him coming back from the mountains,” said Xa ki. But that was not to be.
“He died while in the care of his nurses in the mountains. I am still baffled how this hap pened,” said Xaki.
Xaki said the doctor sus pected double pneumonia as the cause of death.
Khanjingwe is one of 39 ini tiates who died in the Eastern Cape during this season. Growing up in Johannesburg, his grandfather said he al ways had a dream of “coming home” to be an initiate.
He was a Grade 10 pupil and he wanted to be successful in life. When the news came that he had died, Xaki said he collapsed. “His death has hit this family hard.”
Apparently this was the first time such an incident had happened in the community of Ezitapileni.
“The village is shocked and some are scared of sending their boys to the mountains,” Xaki said. — bon
Introducing Khanjingwe Xaki
19-year-old Khanjingwe grew up in Johannesburg and because of his age, it was time to go to the mountains like every young Xhosa man.
His grandfather, Fanavele Xaki, said Khanjingwe was looking forward to the day he would be called a circumcised man.
“He looked happy and he was also happy about the fact that he was attending a legal initiation school. We were proud of the moment when we would see him coming back from the mountains,” said Xa ki. But that was not to be.
“He died while in the care of his nurses in the mountains. I am still baffled how this hap pened,” said Xaki.
Xaki said the doctor sus pected double pneumonia as the cause of death.
Khanjingwe is one of 39 ini tiates who died in the Eastern Cape during this season. Growing up in Johannesburg, his grandfather said he al ways had a dream of “coming home” to be an initiate.
He was a Grade 10 pupil and he wanted to be successful in life. When the news came that he had died, Xaki said he collapsed. “His death has hit this family hard.”
Apparently this was the first time such an incident had happened in the community of Ezitapileni.
“The village is shocked and some are scared of sending their boys to the mountains,” Xaki said. — bon
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