A school principal who was abducted and forcibly taken to an initiation school against his wishes for allegedly teaching his students secrets of the tradition is suing his abductors for M1.5 million. Jesse Mehlala, who is also a pastor and healer for Kanana St John’s Apostolic Faith Mission in Mount Moorosi, told the High Court in papers that he was also assaulted severely during the initiation.
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Mehlala was taken by force when he was at work at Sebapala Primary School in Quthing in October 2022.
He asks the court to order Setipe Mohale, Selebalo Mohlomi, Mofetoli Mofetoli, Thabang Moalosi, Tšepiso Kanetsi, and Thabang Moji to pay him M1 million in damages for pain and suffering.
He further claims M505 000 for mental shock.
“I was abused and assaulted every day until the day I graduated from that initiation school,” Mehlala said in his affidavit.
“I still have a scar on my head that I sustained from that brutal beating,” he said.
Mehlala said he went to hospital when he returned from initiation school.
“To date I still have nightmares about that initiation school and whenever I hear famo music, my memories of how I was treated at the initiation school flash before my eyes and I get very anxious,” he said.
His wife, the Principal Chief of Sebapala, Chief Sempe Nkuebe, and the Ministry of Education’s efforts to rescue him from the initiation school failed.
One of his abductors, the court heard, is a police officer, which could explain the hesitancy of the police to come to his aid.
There are hundreds of initiated police officers, some of whom occupy senior positions.
The court also heard that the army did not help despite a direct invitation to do so.
There are hundreds of initiated soldiers some of whom are in senior command.
His wife wrote to parliament seeking intervention but nothing was done to help.
A lot of MPs are also initiated.
Sheriffs from the court who had been sent to rescue him after the wife lodged a complaint, came back reporting that he was happy and consented to be initiated.
Courts are swarming with initiated officers.
The courts never try their cases and initiated officials in all judicial stages throttle the efforts to legally withdraw one from initiation schools.
Mehlala was reported by the school board in a letter titled ‘To whom it may concern’ on August 25, 2022 saying on May 5, 2009 it raised concerns that he was teaching children things he should not talk about.
The board said it was concerned about the “language he utters before students”.
“He teaches children about matters of circumcision. He says to children that men are being castrated at circumcision schools and that they will be treated similarly if they go to circumcision schools,” the board’s letter reads.
It said he also taught children that “women have nothing for castration”.
“The Ministry of Education has advised that he be removed from the school. He was then removed and later fraudulently employed,” the board said.
“The board is concerned about the language used to children. We therefore seek every available assistance.”
The letter was signed by chairperson ’Matsoanelo Mati, deputy Sondile Metch, councillor Mthunyane Hlalekaya, secretary ’Matsepo Khalane, member ’Mantsebo Koali, while the representative of teachers was ’Makabelo Lipholo.
Mehlala was forcibly taken to initiation school 13 years later after the board reported him some.
Staff Reporter
